With three Delhi government ministers, including the Health and Chief Minister, outside Delhi, the opposition stepped up its attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government as more deaths due to vector-borne diseases were reported in the capital.
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According to the civic bodies, the highest dengue cases were reported in 2015 with a total of 15,876 people infected by the vector-borne disease with 60 deaths.
Noting that community participation and empowerment are the most crucial areas in prevention of vector diseases such as Dengue and Chikungunya, Shri Nadda urged people not to panic and maintain high levels of hygiene and sanitation in the surrounding areas.
The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday sought a detailed report from the Delhi government on deaths due to “upsurge” of chikungunya, which has claimed 10 lives in Delhi and affected over 1,000 people and directed officials to remain alert to prevent it from escalating further. He also informed that the Delhi Government had cancelled leave of all hospital staff and has issued directions to hospital to employ temporary staff for the next two months.
The war of words between the BJP, which is in power in all the municipal bodies in the city as also the Centre, and Kejriwal, raged as suffering patients lined outside overcrowded hospitals in the city.
Both patients died on September 13.
Meanwhile, some people in West Bengal have tested positive for malaria as well.
Dr BS Rana, Chairman, Board of Management of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said in all the four deaths which have taken place, the victims were elderly. Intensive IEC campaigns have been launched to enhance the level of awareness regarding the promotive and treatment protocols of Dengue and Chikungunya.
Long story short: Mishra said that he’ll appeal to all the MLAs and MPs of Delhi to join hands in fighting the mosquito menace. “But medical literature says normally people do not die of chikungunya”, he said. All responsible must come together to solve the vector borne disease outbreak.
“He was diagnosed positive for chikungunya through RT-PCR test”. Prove it medically. Medically chikungunya can never be cause of anyone’s death, ” he said.
Delhi heath minister Jain has ordered an inquiry into the four deaths at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, insinuating that private hospitals were mishandling chikungunya cases.
Of the three fatalities recorded today, two of them took place at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital yesterday while a 22-year-old girl succumbed to the disease on September 1 at Hindu Rao Hospital, officials said.
Lalit Dar of Department of Microbiology at AIIMS said, “At our laboratories, 1,360 chikungunya blood test samples have tested positive till yesterday”.
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The sudden spike in chikungunya cases in Delhi and several other parts of north India has come almost 10 years after a big outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease across the country.
