Union health min reviews Delhi dengue prep as city logs 62 new cases last week

Health minister urges hospital readiness, vector control, and community awareness; Delhi Cantonment tops zone-wise dengue cases in latest MCD data.

Union health minister JP Nadda on Monday chaired a review meeting with Delhi officials to assess dengue preparedness in the National Capital Region amid rising cases of vector-borne illnesses this monsoon, according to people familiar with the matter.

Nadda also directed intensive IEC (Information, Education, Communication) campaigns and social media outreach to sustain public awareness on personal protection. (HT Archive)

Emphasising Jan Chetna through Jan Bhagidari, Nadda said community engagement is key to dengue control. “The State was urged to reassess its preparedness, particularly in light of the prolonged rainy season and waterlogging in certain areas. Also, the minister advised to “intensify vector control, strengthen surveillance and rapid response in Delhi & NCR,” the health ministry said in a statement.

The minister underscored hospital readiness, inter-sectoral coordination and community participation as critical. The review included identifying nodal facilities and stockpiling drugs and equipment to manage severe cases. Central government hospitals have been directed to ensure mosquito-free premises, adequate beds, diagnostics and medicines.

Nadda also directed intensive IEC (Information, Education, Communication) campaigns and social media outreach to sustain public awareness on personal protection.

The health ministry said Nadda has been reviewing preparedness with states, as incessant rainfall this monsoon has packed hospital emergencies. Last Thursday, he urged states, local bodies and communities to intensify preventive measures to sustain gains made in reducing vector-borne disease burden.

He also wrote to chief ministers, advising them to remain vigilant and intensify prevention and awareness drives, and asked state health ministers to personally review the situation and prepare 20-day action plans.

Union health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava added that the National Dengue Control Strategy is being implemented through state vector-borne disease cells focusing on surveillance, case management, vector control, inter-sectoral coordination and awareness.

Delhi reported 62 dengue cases last week, down from 87 the previous week, according to Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) data. The city also logged 33 malaria cases and four of chikungunya. The Delhi Cantonment zone recorded the highest number of dengue cases at 11, followed by Karol Bagh, Najafgarh and Shahdara North zones with five each. Only one case each was reported in the New Delhi Municipal Council and Railway zones. Overall, the city has recorded 120 dengue cases, 62 malaria cases and nine chikungunya cases in September so far, the MCD said.