NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced that the Delhi government will begin a mega campaign against dengue, chikungunya and malaria on September 1 for taking the sting out of mosquito-borne infections.
At a press conference, Kejriwal stated that the campaign — ‘10 Hafte, 10 Baje 10 minute Har Ravivar, Dengue Par War’ — will be launched in which all the ministers, MLAs and officials take part to check spread of mosquito breeding.
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“We appeal to the people of Delhi to give 10 minutes on every Sunday at 10:00 a.m to check all sources of stagnant water in their homes. To begin this campaign, I will start from my own house on Sunday and will check that there is no stagnant clean water in any of the sources where mosquitoes can breed,” Kejriwal said about the campaign that will continue till November 15.
Dengue and chikungunya are among the most dreaded illnesses not just in Delhi, but in the entire country, he said.
Praising the collective efforts of the government and residents, he added that there has been a sharp decline in dengue, and chikungunya cases over the last three years.
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“Medical fraternity, respective departments, senior officers, RWAs, and all others have made efforts to control vector-borne diseases. Within three years, Delhi saw 80 per cent fall in cases of dengue and chikungunya. In 2015, there were reports of 60 deaths due to dengue and chikungunya. It came down to four in 2018,” he said, adding that the health budget has more than doubled from Rs 3,500 crore in 2014-15 to about Rs 7,800 crore in 2019-20.
Measures taken:
The Delhi government has established nearly 500 clinics and equipped mohalla clinics as part of its measures to tackle the outbreak of these infections.
“The mohalla clinics play a crucial role in this regard. Due to long queues and many other reasons, the people were hesitant to go to specialised hospitals unless their health deteriorates. These clinics have enabled the people to access treatment due to their accessibility,” Kejriwal said.
In every government hospital, a nodal medical officer oversees such cases while dedicated beds for dengue patients are allotted in the government hospitals. Private hospitals have to ensure 20 per cent of beds for dengue and chikungunya cases.
The government has created a Dengue Control Cell, which undertakes prevention and awareness activities. A 24x7 control room was established at DGHS headquarters to provide information on prevention of vector borne diseases and guidance on availability of treatment facilities.
“We keep the residents aware of vector borne diseases. The control room was established four years ago,” said a DGHS official.