NEW DELHI: Stricter surveillance, focused and increased number of public awareness programmes and additional medical equipment -- the Municipal Corporation of Delhi claims to be all geared up to tackle both water-borne and vector-borne diseases this summer.

The city has already recorded four dengue cases (one from Delhi and three from outside the Capital), 234 cholera and seven malaria cases since January, according to figures released by the MCD. However, these figures are lower than what was recorded during the corresponding period last year, claim MCD officials.

"The civic body has demanded more funds to ensure that they can put in place additional manpower and bring in better machinery to see that vector and water-borne diseases are contained this season. Though the entire amount has not been sanctioned to the MCD, we are taking measures to ensure that the programme provides long-term benefits to the city,'' said Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri.

The Minister had earlier held a meeting with senior officials of the MCD Health Department, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and members of the Directorate of National Vector-Borne Diseases Control Programme among others to look into the current status of water and vector-borne diseases in the city and the measures to be put in place to reduce the number of patients coming in this season.

"Instructions have been issued to all health officials to speed up the process of fogging, collecting blood slides and spraying in all disease-prone areas of the Capital. Also, increased surveillance has lead to more `challans' and more people complying with the measures announced by the Government to combat the situation.

The MCD has already set up centres at Bara Hindu Rao, G. B. Pant and Kasturba hospitals among other areas where patients with dengue can avail themselves of free treatment,'' said Dr. Shastri, adding that public awareness was the best tool to tackle both water and vector-borne diseases.

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