Around 30 dengue cases have been reported this year till July 18, the highest number for the period in the last six years. According to a municipal report on the vector-borne disease, the number far exceeds the figures of cases during January 1 till July 18 for the earlier five years which stand at 16 (2014), 14 (2013), 8 (2012), 11 (2011), 28 (2010).
What is most alarming about the figures of this year is that out of the total number of cases in 2015, 12 have been reported only in July. The maximum number of cases in Delhi has been reported from North Delhi at 10, while East Delhi recorded the lowest number with six cases. Nine cases were recorded in South Delhi during the period. Two cases were reported from areas outside the jurisdiction of the municipal corporations in the city while one case each was reported from Uttar Pradesh and one other State.
Though this is beginning of the monsoon season, a senior North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on Monday said that the figures are “not a reason for worry”.
“While dengue cases are being reported, its number this year is expected to be lower by the end of the season as we have taken all precautionary measures to ward off the vector-borne diseases. Besides, between intermittent rains, one dry spell with sunny weather reduces breeding. So, further number of cases will depend on how the weather plays out from here on,” the senior official said.
All three corporations — North, South and East — have their own anti-dengue drive to create awareness and penalise people and institutions if water stagnation is found in coolers and other areas. Besides, a dengue month is also marked by the civic bodies to intensify the drive and create greater awareness among the people.
In 2014, the city had reported three deaths and recorded nearly 1,000 cases. In 2013, over 5,500 cases were reported, while six people had died due to the disease.
The Capital had witnessed a large number of dengue cases in 2010 with over 6,000 cases reported in the city. In 2008, over 1,300 cases were registered, 1,153 in 2009, over 1,100 cases in 2011 and 2,093 in 2012.
According to Medical Health Officer (MHO), East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), K K Chaudhary, there are total of 33 hospitals for diagnosing dengue, out of which six hospitals fall in east Delhi. He said that the department has a team of 710 domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) for creating awareness and detecting mosquito-breeding.
The NDMC official said, “We have about 1300 DBCs, and as soon as monsoon season approaches, we intensify our drive to ward off any disease outbreak situation due to mosquito-breeding.”
Over 34,000 households have been found positive during a check for mosquito breeding in SDMC areas. For NDMC, the corresponding figure was 12,375 and for EDMC it stood at 12,046, as per the report.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda has been carrying surprise inspection in various hospitals lately to check their preparedness to deal with any situation of outbreak of dengue. He has also directed them to increase the blood platelets storage at hospitals to meet any exigencies.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Government has directed hospitals to set up surveillance committees comprising at least five members for prevention of mosquito breeding in the premises. Members of the committee, which will include one representative from the Public Works Department (PWD), will be responsible for inspecting all the areas in the hospital.
Free kits for malaria and dengue will be available across 33 State Government-run hospitals. Fever clinic and dengue corners will be set up if there is malaria and dengue cases go up. Hospitals have also been given instructions to increase the number of beds in the dengue wards, if the situation so arises.