Speak up: Locals dread mosquito menace as dengue, chikungunya season looms
The monsoons in the city are yet to arrive but the rising humidity levels have resulted in a sudden spurt of dengue and chikungunya cases in the last few days. So far, a total of 32 cases of dengue have been reported this year. In 2016, by this month seven cases of the vector-borne diseases were reported from the capital.
When it comes to chikungunya, at least 86 cases have been reported so far. The season for the vector-borne diseases typically starts in mid July and lasts till November-end. In order to take precautionary measures, the government has directed all hospitals to increase their bed capacity by 20 per cent to treat patients with fever.
Further, to make the process hassle free, the government has also set up a call centre that people can call to check the availability of beds in a particular hospital. They have also decided to ban sale of Brufen group of medicines during the dengue and chikungunya season.
On May 13, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Delhi will be made mosquito-free to eliminate vector-borne diseases and directed authorities to make a comprehensive plan. We speak to residents to find out issues that plague their areas and what …read more
