Mohali tops dengue chart in Punjab

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 4

With a total of 1,061 cases, Mohali district has topped the dengue chart in Punjab while Amritsar is at the number two spot with nearly 650 cases so far.

According to the district-wise dengue list, the state has recorded nearly 3,100 dengue cases so far this year. However, no death due to the vector-borne disease has been reported from the state this year while last year, Punjab had witnessed 28 dengue deaths. The number of dengue cases in 2015 was much higher — 14,149 as per the official data of the state health authorities. 

Fazilka and Muktsar are the least affected districts, having witnessed less than 10 dengue cases each. While Fazilka, which is at the bottom of the list, has seen just five dengue cases, eight dengue cases have surfaced in Muktsar district. 

The other districts that have reported less than 100 dengue cases are Bathinda (26), Barnala (32), Fatehgarh Sahib (61), Gurdaspur (51), Hoshairpur (91), Kapurthala (55), Mansa (54), Moga (37), Pathankot (43), Roopnagar (49) and Tarn Taran (30).

The presence of a number of offices and a large number of under-construction sites in Mohali district are being cited as the main reasons behind the surfacing of the highest number of dengue cases in the district.

Dr Harinder Pal Singh Bali, Director (Health Services), Punjab, and Mohali Deputy Commissioner DS Mangat expressed also attributed it to these factors. 

“The district has a number of offices and under-construction sites where stagnant clean water in coolers and water tanks is a common sight. Besides, people here are more aware and immediately get dengue tests done,” said the Deputy Commissioner. Dr Bali said the state Health Department, having 22 district hospitals, 41 subdivisional clinics and 150 community health centres, was fully equipped to deal with the dengue cases.        

Last year, Bathinda had topped the dengue chart with 2,017 cases and one death while Mohali had witnessed 544 cases and one dengue death.

In 2014, the total number of dengue cases in Punjab was 472 with Mohali accounting for two dengue cases and one death.