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Dengue outbreak: 16,000 cases, 60 deaths in Punjab, says deputy CM
Soni says 40,000 suspected patients have been diagnosed amid dengue outbreak in Punjab, and 16,000 have tested positive so far
As many as 16,000 people have tested positive for dengue and 60 have succumbed to the mosquito-borne virus in recent weeks in Punjab.
Deputy chief minister OP Soni, who also holds the charge of health and family welfare, shared these figures on the sidelines of an event in Amritsar on Saturday.
Soni said 40,000 suspected patients have been diagnosed at government and private facilities across the state, and 16,000 have tested positive for dengue. Meanwhile, 60 deaths have been confirmed so far, he said.
Spread by the bite of an infected female aedes aegypti mosquito, dengue cases start rising every monsoon and peak between September and November. The present outbreak is turning out to be the deadliest in several years.
Last year, a total of 8,435 confirmed cases of dengue were reported in Punjab whereas the number was around 11,000 in 2019.
The deputy CM said the number of fresh cases is on the decline in the past couple of days and adequate arrangements have been made for the patients at government hospitals.
Soni was interacting with the media during the coronation of Rajkanwalpreet Pal Singh Lucky as the chairman of District Planning Board, Amritsar.
“It’s been just one month since the Congress formed a new government in Punjab, and around 85% of the promises made with the people have been fulfilled. Rest of the promises will be delivered within a month,” said Soni, adding that these efforts have raised the morale of Congress workers and prepared them for contesting the upcoming assembly elections with a new enthusiasm.
