Amid rising dengue cases of dengue and other vector-borne diseases in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday chaired a meeting at the Delhi Secretariat to check the spread. The vector-borne diseases are on the rise following heavy rainfall and flood situations in the city.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj Mayor Shelly Oberoi and officers from various departments were present at the meeting. The meeting was aimed to devise a comprehensive strategy to combat the escalating dengue cases that have gripped the city in recent weeks.
"The meeting began at noon and went on for around an hour. Besides the city health minister and senior officials of the health department, the mayor of Delhi was also present in the meeting in which ways to check the spread of dengue and other vector-borne diseases were discussed," a senior official told PTI.
187 dengue cases reported till July 22
As many as 187 dengue cases have been reported in the national capital this year till July 22, the highest for the period since 2018, according to a civic body report released. As per the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) report, 61 cases of malaria have been were also reported in the same period.
The number of dengue cases reported in first three weeks of July stood at nearly 65. It was 40 in June and 23 in May. In addition, 61 cases of malaria have been recorded in the same period, the report said. In 2022, Delhi reported 159 dengue cases between January 1 and July 22. During the same period in 2021, it reported 47 dengue cases. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, the city witnessed 49, 34, and 28 cases, respectively.
Possibility of a rise in dengue, malaria cases
Earlier, Delhi Mayor Oberoi had cautioned people against the possibility of a rise in dengue and malaria cases in Delhi due to flooding in several areas. She said that departments have been directed to check mosquito breeding and clear the silt and sludge left by the flood.
(With agencies input)
