NEW
DELHI: With scores of dengue cases being reported in the national
capital and Uttar Pradesh, authorities have stepped up efforts to
contain the outbreak that has claimed at least 13 lives. Eleven people,
including a student of the prestigious AIIMS, have died of dengue in
Delhi while two deaths were reported from Uttar Pradesh.
A total of 448 cases were reported in the national capital, which
saw 121 fresh cases in the past week alone. This marked a sharp
increase over the 160 cases reported last year. Uttar Pradesh reported
40 cases of suspected dengue in the past month.
Authorities in Delhi deployed 2,400 additional personnel for
fumigation and fogging drives and the city government said it might
declare the outbreak as an epidemic. “We will declare it an epidemic if
the situation is not brought under control by Tuesday,†Delhi Health
Minister Yoganand Shastri said after a meeting chaired by Lt Governor B
L Joshi to review the situation.
In Uttar Pradesh, chief medical officers in districts were directed
to undertake fogging and sprinkling of insecticides. Officials were
asked to collect information on dengue patients across the state and to
take prompt action to control the situation.
Thirty-five people, including 18 medicos and students, are being
treated at AIIMS. Civic authorities have stepped up sanitation drives
across Delhi, especially in hospitals, community centres and public
places to kill mosquitoes. Several dengue cases were also reported from
private hospitals in Noida adjoining the national capital.