85% dip in Mohali dengue cases this year

Owing to the extensive larvae destruction, survey and awareness activities, Mohali district has witnessed a fall in the number of dengue cases this year in government hospitals. Till now, as many as 213 positive cases of dengue have been reported from the district in comparison to 1,530 cases during the corresponding period last year, registering a decline of more than 85 per cent.

In 2023, the number of positive cases was 1,325 and in 2022, it was 1,831. Health teams surveyed a total of 6,70,409 houses this year, while this figure was 2,98,098 last year.

Civil Surgeon Dr Sangeeta Jain said government had initiated campaign “Har Shukrawar, Dengue te War” (Every Friday, War on Dengue). She said Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh himself went door-to-door for larvae destruction and to sensitise people about the disease. The minister covered every hot-spot area in the district, Dr Jain said.

Apart from this, the extensive larvicide was sprayed in the rural and urban areas in collaboration with the Panchayat Department and the Municipal Corporation, she said. This time, a mass survey was also conducted in the high-risk areas on every Monday and Thursday, she said. Whenever any suspected dengue case came to fore, anti-larvae teams of the Health Department immediately swung into action and conducted survey and sprayed larvicide at the affected place, Dr Jain said.

Early reporting of suspected dengue cases and quick action of anti-larvae destruction teams contributed to the decline of dengue cases this season, she said.

“Notably, health teams comprise breeding checkers, multi-purpose health workers and health supervisors who have been constantly working since January. The teams have visited around 2 lakh houses in the district till now,” Dr Jain said

“Residents need to be vigilant and cautious during December too as the temperature hovers between 15ۣ°C and 30°C which is ideal for the breeding of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. Residents must not allow stagnation of water anywhere in their homes and surroundings and observe every Friday as Dry Day,” she said.