NEW DELHI, Sept 20:
With dengue cases having crossed the 2000-mark, hospitals in the city continued to groan under the huge rush of patients, even as the Delhi Government today claimed the health situation in response to the vector-borne disease in the capital has “improved”.
Thousands of patients flocked the fever clinics at hospitals for getting tested for dengue while several others were admitted for treatment.
“Even today (Sunday), a large number of patients visited the fever clinics which has been set up to deal with the dengue crisis the city is battling.
“People are still living in panic as cases refuse to go down. Several patients having slight fever have also checked in at hospital fearing they have contracted the disease,” a doctor at the Safdarjung Hospital said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Government today claimed that it was “winning the battle” against the deadly disease.
“Now the health situation is better and we are winning the battle against dengue as the situation is improving,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters here.
While over 20 people have succumbed to dengue, more than 2000 cases have been reported this year.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain today conducted surprise inspection at Janakpuri’s Super Speciality Hospital and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and took stock of the ongoing dengue preparations there.
Recently 200 new beds were set up at the hospital to accommodate the increasing numbers of dengue patients.
The Health Minister also met representatives of School Management Committee (SMC) to spread dengue awareness in 1100 Government schools in the national capital.
Meanwhile, a team of a municipal corporation staff were today allegedly not allowed to carry out dengue breeding checking at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence here, with the Delhi Government saying that they had come only with the intention of “creating drama”.
While the civic bodies, in a rather delayed response, have gone into special preventive drives, city residents feel the outbreak of the vector-borne disease, its worst in last five years, has exposed the “ill-preparedness” of the MCD in dealing with the menace.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda today assured “whatever support” the Delhi Government needed in fighting the disease, saying it was not the time for blame game.
Delhi Metro has also joined in spreading awareness on the disease. It has put up posters and banners at all stations and fed its public information display system with messages aimed at preventing further spread of the vector-borne disease
The latest victim of the vector borne disease is 38-year-old Harish Chauhan from south Delhi, allegedly due to medical negligence, whose death was reported yesterday. His death has taken the death toll to 21.
Battling rising number of dengue cases, Delhi Government has ordered that 55 Government-run dispensaries be converted into ‘Fever and Dengue Clinics’ from tomorrow. These clinics will operate from 7 am to 9 pm on all days, including Sundays and holidays, till further orders.
Also, fresh showers in the city have stoked fears of dengue cases flaring up, with the Union Health Ministry issuing an advisory to Delhi Government to “intensify” measures to check the breeding of mosquitoes in the national capital.
The Ministry had earlier directed all hospitals under Central Government to not deny treatment to any patient suffering from fever or suspected dengue and has asked hospitals to increase their bed strength to accommodate more patients.
The Ministry also asked Delhi Government to take action against any over-charging by private hospitals in treating dengue patients.
In 2010, the city saw a massive outbreak of the vector-borne disease, and eight official deaths and at least 6,259 cases were recorded. The year saw huge spurt in the cases due to construction activities happening as the Commonwealth Games were being hosted in the city.
While till September 12 this year, 1,872 cases were recorded, during the same period in 2010, 1933 cases were registered.
Central teams have visited high-endemic states which have reported a large number of cases to provide technical guidance for dealing with the situation. (PTI)
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