The number of fatalities due to chikungunya complications has risen to 15 in the national capital, even as Delhi government today sought people’s cooperation in combating vector-borne diseases which have affected over 2,800 people in the city. This season, 12 deaths have been reported till yesterday, including five each at Apollo Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), while one death each at AIIMS and Hindu Rao Hospital.
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“On one side, diseases like Chikungunya and Dengue is becoming epidemic, a number of people are infected by it, and on the other hand, the central government and the Delhi government are sitting with their eyes shut and denying facts so that they can not be held responsible for it”, Mahila Congress President Shobha Oza told ANI. “Have assured all support to the Delhi government and the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for tackling the rising cases of dengue and chikungunya”, Nadda said.
“According to the 2015 report of WHO (World Health Organisation), 191 people in North America and South America had died of chikungunya”, Maken said, and asked, “whether people should reject the report of one of the key members of the UNO (United Nations Organisation) like the WHO, which said that people have died of chikungunya in America”.
The committee in its report, which was released toady by the Delhi government, has, however, only reviewed almost 20 cases.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has also repeatedly said that “according to medical literature, chikungunya can not kill, and therefore people need not panic”.
He urged Nadda to ask the health ministers of neighboring states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to set up fever clinics in order to reduce excessive patient inflow in the hospitals of Delhi. “All adequate arrangements are there in all hospitals, run under Delhi government or Centre or MCD”, he added. Delhi has so far witnessed 32 deaths due to vector-borne diseases.
In the wake of chikungunya outbreak, the Delhi government has initiated the process for declaring chikungunya as a notifiable and risky disease.
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“It was discussed that reporting of all the vector-borne diseases should be done on a priority basis from every hospital, nursing home, laboratory to the government agencies concerned without failure which is imperative for monitoring the situation and for appropriate preventive measures including fogging of the region concerned”, a Delhi government statement said. Chikungunya worsened her condition by magnifying the intensity of the diseases.
