Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a high-level meeting on Monday to review the Dengue situation in Delhi, the government said in a release. The meeting also discussed the new vaccines developed to target Dengue and the Minister has directed the officials to ramp up testing so that all Dengue cases could be traced.

In addition, the Minister also directed the Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to identify and a send team of experts to the States with a high active caseload of Dengue. The best practices of these States are also to be recorded in the subsequent review meets, according to the release.

Highlighting the urgency of intervention, the Minister pointed out that several poor people have been affected in the Capital and they are weak due to the low platelet count.

“Primary health care centres prescribe anti-pyretic drugs to suppress the symptoms without addressing the root cause, which may lead to eventual demise of the patient. Since testing is the most important step to identifying Dengue, these deaths will not be reported as such and the incidence will continue to be under-reported,” said Mandaviya.

Effective co-ordination

The Minister also stressed on the need for effective co-ordination between Centre and States. He observed that some hospitals are over-burdened with cases while beds continue to be empty in other hospitals.

He urged the Delhi officials to look into the possibility of repurposing Covid beds to treat Dengue.

“It was decided that health officials of the Union Health Ministry will support their counterparts in the government of NCT of Delhi to chalk out a detailed action plan to combat Dengue,” said the release.

It was noted that although the health administration was very effective in their communication on vector control, the efficacy of these messages on the action taken by common people remained unknown. Use of mosquito nets, full sleeved clothing and indoor fogging are to be encouraged.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister also emphasised on the identification of slums without regular supply of water, where water is stored for consumption. “Although extensive cleaning is required in some surfaces where water gets replaced frequently like coolers and refrigerator trays, the use of chemicals like Temephos granules is known to be effective in larvae control.”

Delhi govt campaign

In addition, Mandaviya was apprised that the campaign of the Delhi government to sensitise school children on larvae control and training them to ensure that water does not get stored in in flower pots, feeding bowls for birds and coolers will be taken up as the schools are being re-opened.

“Biological larvicide fishes like Gambusia have been deployed in 163 sites. Delhi has declared Dengue a notified disease, which will enhance reporting and monitoring of the disease.....All hospitals have been converted to sites with zero tolerance of mosquitoes; since vectors acquire the pathogen from infected persons and are able to transmit it in their offspring too. Mosquito net will be provided to Dengue patients,” the release stated.

As per the release, although only 10 per cent cases are complicated and mortality seldom crosses 1 per cent, the Delhi government health officials assured the Health Minister that the outbreak will be contained with the help of all stakeholders.

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