Dengue: Step up check on mosquito breeding after rain, Centre to Delhi govt

New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday issued a fresh advisory to Delhi government to "intensify" measures to check the breeding of mosquitoes after experts warned that the dengue situation may worsen in the wake of fresh showers in the national capital.

"In view of rains today morning and forecast by IMD, there is a possibility of water stagnation in containers and disposed of plastic and junk material, giving rise to breeding of aedes mosquitoes.

"It is advised that the vector-control measures need to be intensified to contain the problem of dengue. You are requested to instruct all officials and departments concerned to intensify the efforts," said the advisory issued by the Union Health Ministry.

Four more persons succumbed to dengue here yesterday, taking the death toll from the vector-borne disease to 20. Following the latest casualties, Delhi government approved nearly 800 additional beds at 48 private hospitals.

The Health Ministry said that around 12 advisories have already been issued from March until August this year pertaining to dengue, including an advisory by Health Minister JP Nadda to all the state chief ministers in April, 2015.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and, hence, this advisory has been issued in the wake of the fresh spell of rains.

"The ministry has been extending the required technical and financial support and assistance to the states to manage dengue and will continue to do so in order to strengthen them to address the recent upsurge," Nadda said.

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.

Also, Delhi government has been asked to expeditiously increase the bed strength at state hospitals for dengue patients, the official statement said.

According to experts, the aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the dengue virus to humans, breeds in clean water and the showers might lead to water accumulating on rooftops and other areas.

Health ministry had sought a report from Delhi government following the tragic case here in which a boy succumbed to the disease after allegedly being denied treatment by a private hospital leading to his parents committing suicide.

The statement said that the central government hospitals are fully geared to infuse platelets wherever required while adequate stocks of NS1 and IgM testing kits to detect dengue are also available at 514 select sentinel surveillance hospitals and apex referral labs.

Health Ministry, apart from taking up campaigns to spread awareness on preventive and curative measures for dengue, has also supported states by organising meetings, sensitisation workshops and meetings with public representatives, including mayors and corporators.

Central teams have visited high-endemic states which have reported a large number of cases to provide technical guidance for dealing with the situation.

The ministry said in the statement that several high- level meetings with senior officers, Directorate NVBDCP and heads of various central government hospitals in Delhi, officials of Delhi government, mayors of NDMC and MCD and Delhi Cantonment have also been held to review the dengue situation in the national capital and in other states.