What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has not released its weekly dengue report in the last few weeks, even as the vector-borne disease is on the rise in the national capital.
Delhi has seen a rise in dengue cases in the last two months, with a few deaths reported at both government and private hospitals. The last report by the AAP-ruled MCD was released in the first week of August.
The MCD has refused to divulge the number of dengue cases in Delhi, which it used to share every Monday. According to the MCD, the number of dengue patients in Delhi was close to 350 till August 7.
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When The New Indian asked MCD officials about the data related to dengue cases in Delhi, they said that the figure was not shared due to the G20 till early this month, but it will be shared soon.
MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi said recently that the agency had run anti-larva and anti-dengue mosquito drives at multiple locations in Delhi. She also said that fines were issued to those found not following rules.
Health experts say that the government has to be cautious, but it is mainly individuals who need to be much more aware of the scenario and take absolute precautions.
Dr. Tarun Sahni, Consultant in Medicine at Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, told The New Indian, “Since September-October is the time we every year do get dengue. The main reason is, after monsoon is ending, there is a lot of water that gets collected at different areas for the collection and becomes the breeding ground for mosquitoes which escalates the incidence of dengue patients.”
“Dengue mosquitoes are not an evening mosquito hence exposure to it is higher. This year the rains are unscheduled which can be one of the reasons for higher incidents.”
“We have not seen severe/dangerous forms of dengue although the number is high and we have to be vigilant at our house and see there’s no breeding ground for them in our house,” he added.
When asked about the challenge of recognizing the symptoms of dengue before it turns severe, Dr. Sahni, who is seeing around seven to eight patients per week, said, “The reason why dengue is so deceptive is the severity of dengue sets in only after the fever is gone. What people need to know is that if you have rashes in your body, fullness in the stomach, blood in your stool or while brushing that’s an emergency you need to see a doctor immediately. Serious cases which are not reported on time become difficult to manage. The ultimate solution is we collectively need to stop dengue mosquito breeding.”
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According to sources, the MCD has issued notices to 1.3 lakh houses and 56,000 challans as the houses had mosquito larvae.
