Dengue Danger: Sheila criticized MCD for rising cases in Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit stated that the city has witnessed sudden spurt of Dengue cases in the months of August and September this year as compared to the previous two years. The three Municipal Corporations have not been able to fulfill their basic responsibility of providing sanitation services and overcoming the breeding of mosquitoes. Their staff of around 3500 domestic breeding checkers have been roaming here and there to perform duties other than their assigned duties.

The city government has provided 700 dedicated Dengue beds in its government hospitals. Further, there is no shortage of platelets. The hospitals have been directed to ensure that the Dengue fever cases requiring hospitalization are not denied admission due to lack of beds. Additional laboratory technicians have also been deployed in different hospitals specially for the Dengue cases.

Dikshit stated that the number of reported cases during September this year are 1567 against 52 in 2012 and 172 in 2011. Further, the cases reported in August this year are 142 against just four in 2012 and 51 in 2011. The confirmed and suspected Dengue death cases have also gone up in comparison to the cases last year. The city government has increased allocation under Public Health Head from ` 76 cr last year to ` 87.50 cr in 2013. Out of ` 87.50 cr an amount of ` 65 cr has been released whereas just ` 14 cr has been utilized.

Apart from this, the city government has released ` 3 cr to the corporations from Delhi State Health Mission under Vector-Borne Disease Control Program. In addition to this, the Urban Development Department has already released an amount of ` 250 cr out of an allocation of ` 389 cr for sanitation services. It is learnt that the amount released by the city government is being utilized on the different heads other than the heads for which the amount is being released. This is creating hurdles in effectively undertaking the public health services and sanitation services.

The Chief Minister also stated that the localities under Rohini Municipal Wards are badly affected by Dengue fever resulting in a panic like situation in the area. Out of the total reported deaths, the majority of deaths have taken place in Rohini region. The city of Delhi cannot afford to be termed as a city of mosquitoes, city of accumulated filth and city affected with Dengue.