New Delhi, Oct 8 : The Health Ministry today asked three northern states, including Delhi, to step up awareness campaign and fogging to check the spread of dengue, besides increasing testing facilities.
Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad reviewed the situation at a meeting here with Health Ministers of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The Commissioners of all three municipal Corporations of Delhi and NDMC were also present.
Azad called upon the states to step up awareness campaign and focus on a cleanliness drive, and extended the Ministry's support for setting up more testing facilities for dengue. At present, there are 33 dengue testing centres in Delhi.
Azad also called for holding special training of private doctors at AIIMS for management of dengue cases.
After fresh 31 cases were reported in Delhi, the total number of those affected in the national capital rose to 233 while that in neighbouring Haryana the figure touched 65. In Uttar Pradesh, there were seven dengue cases so far.
Officials at the meeting noted that though Delhi had reported lesser dengue cases as compared to previous years, there is need for stepping up the awareness campaign.
Thirty-one fresh cases of dengue were reported today in the national capital, taking the total number of those affected to 233 this season.
Out of the 233 cases, three originated from outside the capital. A nine-year-old girl had died due to dengue last month.
Last year, the capital saw 216 cases of dengue, including eight originating from outside, and three deaths.
Delhi Health Minister A K Walia said an awareness campaign through electronic media would be launched, besides stepping up a cleanliness drive and anti-fogging measures.
Haryana Health Minister Rao Narender Singh has said that dengue situation is improving in his state and necessary steps have been taken for creating awareness about dengue among general public.
He said of the total number of dengue cases in the NCR area of Haryana, 90 per cent were reported from Gurgaon and nearby areas. The number of these cases was 65, which are less than the number of cases in the same period during last year.
Besides testing facilities in hospitals, necessary medicines have also been arranged and doctors have also been given training in this regard, he said.
