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`Declare dengue an epidemic'

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI OCT. 18. The Leader of the Opposition in the Standing Committee and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Vijender Kumar Gupta, has urged the National Human Rights Commission to intervene and direct the authorities to declare dengue an epidemic in view of its uncontrolled growth in Delhi and adjoining townships. He has also accused the Delhi Government and the MCD of failure to act decisively on the issue.

In a representation to NHRC, Mr. Gupta said the State Administration was yet to come to grips with the growing menace of dengue fever, which had already claimed a number of lives. He said despite the rising number of cases, no special provision has been made for making beds available in hospitals and no blood was available in the blood banks. So shocking was the scenario that even a doctor at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences had succumbed to the disease.

Mr. Gupta further said that National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) had received about 2,000 samples so far. Despite the disease assuming dangerous proportions, no special measures have been taken as envisaged in the Article 376 of the Delhi MCD Act . He said the figure of 2003 had surpassed all previous records despite the fact that private nursing home records have not been included in this figure. The BJP leader said by all accounts it was an epidemic and it should be dealt with accordingly on an urgent and priority basis. An epidemic is defined as "the occurrence in a community of a group of illnesses of similar nature clearly in excess of normal expectation''. He accused the Delhi Government of trying to suppress facts.

Under these circumstances, he has petitioned the NHRC to use its good offices for getting the present situation declared as epidemic so that proper appraisal of the situation is done and proper follow up action is taken in provisions with the DMC Act.

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