Photo: V.V.Krishnan

SMOKING OUT DENGUE: An NDMC official fumigating the premises of the National School of Drama in New Delhi as part of efforts to control dengue.

NEW DELHI: Even as the number of dengue cases keeps rising steadily, the Delhi Government on Tuesday said there was no cause for panic. It announced a number of measures to combat the disease.

Till late in the day, the official death toll remained at 11, with the total number of dengue-related cases having gone up to 497 in various hospitals — 280 from Delhi and 217 from outside the capital.

The Delhi Cabinet, which took stock of the situation, felt that it did not warrant declaring the outbreak an epidemic.

Additional workforce

"We have announced a series of measures to ensure that the situation is brought under control. It has been decided that school students would wear full-length uniforms from Wednesday. Principals and headmasters would be made responsible for ensuring cleanliness on the school premises. The Directorate of Industries would carry out inspections in all industrial areas.

The number of three-wheelers being used by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for publicity purpose would be doubled, and an additional workforce of 2,400 is being deployed immediately," Health Minister Yoganand Shastri said.

Fogging and spraying operations were intensified. The Flood and Irrigation Department has been instructed to ensure that all major drains were sprayed to contain mosquito breeding. The Vice-Chancellors of universities have been asked to take dengue control measures in colleges and hostels.

Review meetings

"It has also been decided that directions would be issued to all Government offices, institutions and hospitals to avoid using desert coolers. The Health Department will hold bi-weekly review meetings to take stock of the incidence of water and vector-borne diseases," he said.

Dr. Shastri also held a meeting with the medical superintendents of Government hospitals. He is scheduled to meet Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday.

"A special drive will also be carried out in Government hospitals to provide blood platelets, and additional beds and wards for dengue patients. The Health Department will launch an intensive mass awareness drive through advertisements in newspapers," said Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, D.S. Negi.

Heavy inflow of patients

The hospitals are struggling with a heavy inflow of patients. A senior physician at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences said: "We are witnessing a very heavy inflow of patients, especially with suspected dengue. So far, we have 17 AIIMS students and staff under treatment for dengue; this includes two new admissions on Tuesday. Though additional infrastructure and manpower have been pressed into service, the patient load that we are handling now is very high. No patient coming here with dengue has been turned away without treatment."

Maintaining that the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital was prepared to take in more patients and had enough medical and diagnostic infrastructure, Medical Superintendent Dr. N.K. Chaturvedi said: "We have adequate staff and medical facilities to ensure that patients coming here are looked after. For over a week now, we are getting a heavy load of patients with dengue. We are complying with all the directions of the Central Government on the matter."

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