Kejriwal holds high level review meeting on dengue, advises to take precautions

New Delhi: Taking prompt action against the spread of vector borne diseases in Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Friday chaired a high level review meeting.The meeting, which included senior officials from several agencies as well as Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj and Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi, aimed to address the growing dengue issue and recommend effective preventive measures to treat the disease. Taking note of the issue, Kejriwal has asked that all hospitals reserve beds for dengue patients and keep an adequate supply of vital medicines on hand.

The Delhi Government has issued a helpline number 1031 for vector-borne diseases; patients will be able to contact doctors directly through it from next week. He also mentioned that If mosquito breeding is found in a person's house, a Rs 1,000 punishment will be imposed; commercial premises would be fined Rs 5,000. The Delhi government will soon open a 24-hour dengue control room. Doctors have also been advised not to prescribe aspirin-disprin like blood-thinners, as this can be dangerous during dengue treatment.Patients are being urged not to self-medicate and only take medicines as prescribed by healthcare professionals. Paracetamol is recommended as the safest option for fever relief. Furthermore, the Education Directorate will ensure that all pupils wear full-sleeved uniforms to school. If a student does not have a full sleeve uniform, they may wear any full sleeve shirt-pant of their own preference.

After the discussion, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj told the media that this year's weather patterns had been exceptional, with the monsoon season arriving earlier than predicted. As a result, vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya are being reported in July rather than their usual occurrence in August and September.Bhardwaj emphasized the need for public awareness in dengue prevention. The major goal is to educate the public about dengue and its transmission so that they can protect themselves from mosquito bites and thus prevent the spread of the disease, he said. Dengue mosquitoes breed in clean water, such as standing water on rooftops, flower pots, utensils, and containers within residences, and several other areas throughout the city, according to him.

The Health Department conducted genome sequencing of the dengue virus and found that 19 out of 20 samples were of type 2 dengue, which is considered more dangerous. However, due to a predominant strain, it is expected that the severity of the disease might be comparatively controlled. Nevertheless, the Delhi Government urges everyone to remain cautious, particularly school-going children, who may be more susceptible,Bhardwaj informed. To ensure effective prevention, the Education Department has been directed to enforce a strict dress code in schools.

Furthermore, the Education Department has been entrusted with creating a dengue awareness homework project for children. All pupils in Delhi's government, MCD, and private schools will create and submit a report on their houses' dengue preparedness next week. The teachers will inspect the report cards and return them to the kids for re-inspection at home. This necessary exercise strives to instill in the younger generation a sense of responsibility and awareness.

In order to restrict mosquito breeding, hospitals have been declared a no-tolerance zone for mosquito breeding, and similar directives were given to other departments as well. The Health Department will provide daily updates on the number of reported dengue cases via various media platforms.In addition, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been asked to guarantee that Domestic Breeding Checkers (DBC) staff undertake door-to-door inspections of breeding grounds.