160% surge in dengue, malaria cases as civic infrastructure limps

Vector-borne diseases have registered a sharp increase, with the city registering around 161 per cent hike in the number of dengue and malaria cases in the past one month.

Stagnant water a breeding ground

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• Stagnant rainwater for more than 24 hours results in the breeding of mosquito larvae in both urban and rural areas.
• The departments concerned have been told to adopt measures to contain the menace of waterlogging caused mainly by rains and inefficient drainage.
• While fogging and spraying of chemicals in stagnant water sources is in progress, the Health Department has set up a special ward for dengue cases in the Civil Hospital.

Waterlogging and stagnant water due to excessive rain have led to the surge in such cases.

With 33 cases of dengue and 14 of malaria confirmed so far, the number of suspected cases have crossed 200, according to sources in the Health Department. More than 1,040 notices have been served for the detection of mosquito larvae in various parts of the city.

A majority of patients have visited private hospitals or clinics in the past month, it was reported. The malaria control cell of the Health Department has collected more than 5,000 blood samples of the patients who reported with fever in the past

eight weeks.

While the number of positive cases of dengue and malaria had been 10 and at eight last month, five cases had surfaced in July this year. Besides the collection of blood samples of the suspected cases, the department has paced up the issuing of notices to area inhabitants on the detection of the larvae of mosquitoes, said an official of the department.

Admitting that there was a surge in the number of patients with fever, he said the department had already collected around 1.50 lakh slides of blood samples for tests since January 1 this year.

Citing poor cleanliness and civic conditions as the major factors behind the rise in such cases, an official said, stagnation of rainwater for more than 24 hours results in the breeding of mosquito larvae in both urban and rural areas. The departments concerned have been told to adopt measures to contain the menace of waterlogging caused mainly by rains and inefficient drainage.

Meanwhile, the malaria wing of the Health Department was reported to be faced with acute shortage of staff. It has only 119 employees against a total of 173 posts. These include around 29 multi-purpose health workers (against the sanctioned 134 posts). Two posts of senior malaria inspector and four posts of lab technicians are

lying vacant.

Dr Ram Bhagat, Deputy CMO and malaria in-charge, said the department had been collecting blood samples of the suspected cases. While fogging and spraying of chemicals in stagnant water sources was in progress, the department had set up a special ward for dengue cases in the Civil Hospital. The vacant posts in the department were likely to be filled soon, he said.

Meanwhile, in Gurugram, three more patients, were found suffering from dengue in Gurugram during the past 24 hours.

Confirming this, the District Surveillance Officer of the Health Department, Dr JP Singh, said the total count of dengue patients had increased to 33 in the current season.