Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has announced that a five per cent bed reservation for dengue patients will be implemented across all government hospitals in the capital city.
In a meeting with hospital nodal officers and Medical Superintendents aimed at discussing strategies to prevent dengue in the city, Bhardwaj, on Wednesday, evaluated the readiness to combat dengue, according to an official statement.
With a surge in cases of the vector-borne disease, Bhardwaj has also instructed hospital authorities to ensure that patients with fever receive their test results within six to eight hours of admission. This swift provision of test results will facilitate prompt treatment in the event of a dengue diagnosis, potentially saving lives and preventing further harm.
During the meeting, Bhardwaj directed hospital administrators to regularly update the Health Department’s portal with information regarding dengue patients admitted to their respective facilities, a practice similar to how hospitals reported daily COVID-19 data during the pandemic.
Successful trials conducted to spray larvicide using drones
Meanwhile, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi reported that the public health and engineering department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has successfully conducted a trial using drones to spray larvicide. This technique will now be regularly employed in hard-to-reach areas and at construction sites. This initiative is in response to the increasing dengue cases in the city and an ongoing strike by dengue breeding checking (DBC) workers.
Oberoi revealed that drones can transport 30 liters of anti-larval medicine through the air. When asked about the coverage areas, she specified that the drones will be used to spray larvicide in under-construction buildings and locations that are difficult for dengue control workers to access. However, she did not provide details about whether the drones would be newly acquired or utilized through an agency.
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Regarding the ongoing strike by DBC workers organized under the banner of the Anti-Malaria Ekta Karmachari Union, Oberoi stated that their demands are being considered and highlighted that some sanitation workers have already been regularized. She alleged that the issues raised by the DBC workers today stem from the “misrule of the BJP” during its 15-year tenure in power in the MCD.
