Azad holds review meet to check dengue
Amid concerns over rising dengue cases ahead of the Commonwealth Games, Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad held a meeting with the Delhi health minister Kiran Walia to chalk out the strategy for containing the spread of the disease. It was decided to launch a massive cleaning drive in Delhi, involving all the civic agencies concerned, to ensure that dengue was contained.
Also thanks to delayed approval for synthetic mosquito repellent in and around the Games venues to prevent spread of dengue, the authorities will end up paying a higher amount to the Mumbai company, which is supplying the spray.
Talking to this newspaper, MCD’s health committee chairman V.K. Monga said that usually the spray, synthetic pyrethroids, costs ` 700 to `800 per litre. “But now the company has increased its price to `1,300 per litre,” said Mr Monga. He added that in the wake of the fresh demand, even the company was finding it difficult to supply the amount required.
Following a review meeting with Dr Walia, Delhi mayor P.R. Sawhney and other officials Mr Azad told reporters that the focus was to ensure coordination among agencies. However, the minister claimed that although the number of cases have increased, the sub-type of dengue prevalent this year was not virulent. “Sub-type 1 is not virulent. So, there have only been a few deaths so far,” he said. Apart from the cleanliness drive, MCD, NDMC, as well as CPWD, have been asked to inspect the roof water tanks of all multi-storey buildings and colonies, to ensure that they are covered with a lid.
“Construction agencies like CPWD and those involved with Metro projects and Games, have been asked to clean up their areas and sprinkle chemical in the water pools,” said Mr Azad.
The spread of dengue in the city has been assumed dangerous proportions with the total figure now reaching 1,155 with 74 new cases being reported on Friday. The total number of cases in the NDMC areas reached 122.
The MCD will launch a week-long sanitation-cum-cleanliness drive from September 6 to create awareness against the disease.
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