New Delhi, Oct 01: With the national capital
witnessing 121 fresh cases in the past week, authorities on Sunday
swung into action deploying 2,400 additional personnel to
contain the dengue outbreak that has killed 11 people so far.
Delhi government is considering declaring the outbreak
as an epidemic after the number of dengue cases rose to 448
till September-end this year.
"We will declare it as an epidemic if the situation is
not brought under control by Tuesday," Delhi Health Minister
Yoganand Shastri told reporters after a review meeting
convened by Lt Governor B L Joshi.
Thirty-five patients, including 18 resident doctors and
students, are undergoing treatment at AIIMS where one student
succumbed to the disease yesterday.
"2,400 additional MCD personnel will be pressed into
service to carry out fumigation and fogging drives on a
war-footing across the capital," Shastri said.
Hospitals across the capital are making available blood
and platelets required for treating those affected by dengue,
officials said.
AIIMS medical superintendent D K Sharma told media persons that 35
dengue patients, including 18 resident doctors and students,
have been admitted to the hospital. "All of them are stable."
The outbreak, a common phenomenon during monsoon, appears
to have assumed serious proportions with the death of 11
people this year against four during the corresponding period
last year.
Altogether 448 cases have been reported till
September-end this year as against 160 during the
corresponding period last year.
The civic authorities have stepped up sanitation drives
across the city especially in hospitals, community centres
and public places to kill mosquitoes.
"We have also started random checks of homes, offices
and places where there could be stagnant water breeding
mosquitoes. We are spraying anti-mosquito drugs," N K Yadav,
municipal health officer, said.
The Delhi government has formed a special task force to
help the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in the drive against
stagnant water and to educate people on preventive measures
against the disease.
Hospitals have been told to maintain cleanliness on
campuses.
Kamal Raj Kiran, a seventh semester student of AIIMS,
died of dengue yesterday.
Dengue virus is spread by the bite of female aedes
mosquito that breeds in clean stagnant water.
The disease could spread further in the next two months
because the present weather helps in breeding of aedes
mosquito.
"Since October and November are most dangerous months
for breeding of mosquitoes, we have appealed to citizens to be
on alert," Yadav said.
Bureau Report
