Dengue outbreak: Number of cases falling; barring rain, surge unlikely, say officials
Hospitals get 400 beds, sanitation workers postpone strike call.
The vector-borne disease will continue to affect patients till November, after which it is likely to decline further.
The Delhi government added 400 new beds in three of its hospitals on Friday, as part of its initiative to procure 1,000 beds to combat the worst outbreak of dengue the capital has ever witnessed.
“We have bought 400 beds, part of the 1,000 beds the Delhi government had purchased to accommodate dengue patients. The beds are likely to be placed at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and Ambedkar Hospital, as they have been dealing with a major influx of patients seeking treatment for dengue,” said an official of the health department.
While municipal reports confirmed 6,500 confirmed cases of dengue till September 30, with a little over 500 cases in the last few days, the number of dengue cases has started declining, said doctors.
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The vector-borne disease will continue to affect patients till November, after which it is likely to decline further.
“It is unlikely that dengue cases will see another surge unless there are fresh rains,” said the official. Meanwhile, Delhi government’s fever clinics in dispensaries and the dengue wards in its hospitals continue to remain open.
“Fever cases are continuing to surface even though there is a dip in the number of dengue cases. The management is based on symptoms. Unless it is a case of patients reporting the disease late or not being properly hydrated, we usually don’t see problems,” said Dr Atul Gogia from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Cases of fever remain prevalent, especially among children, said doctors.
“Children should be kept well-hydrated and their platelet count should be regularly monitored in case of dengue. In a recent meeting with doctors for dengue management, we again apprised them of the situation,” said an official of the health department.
In view of the dengue crisis, sanitation workers of the municipal corporations decided to postpone their decision to go on strike to press for various demands, including regularisation of ad-hoc workers and payment of arrears.
At a meeting held in central Delhi’s Panchkuian Road on Friday, the sanitation workers decided to contribute to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) special sanitation drive till October 11, said Akhil Bhartiya Safai Mazdoor Sangh’s state president Santlal Chawaria.
“We have decided to postpone our final decision on the strike, considering the dengue crisis. We will work till October 11 and take a decision after that,” said Chawaria.
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