by Pankaj Yadav
NEW DELHI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- In view of the rising number of dengue fever cases in several parts of India, Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Wednesday held a high-level meeting to review the dengue situation and overall preparedness in the South Asian country.
Held in New Delhi, the meeting was attended by senior doctors of leading government-run hospitals and officials of the federal health ministry.
Dengue cases were mostly reported after the rainy season. The monsoon season hits India between mid-June and the end of August. According to media reports, more than 7,000 dengue cases have been reported this year in the southern state of Karnataka alone, with its capital city Bengaluru being the worst hit.
Besides, nearly 250 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi this year alone. According to a report by The Indian Express, "A total of 246 cases have been recorded in the city between Jan. 1 and June 29 this year, the highest for the time period since at least 2019. No death has been reported yet due to dengue, though."
At the conclusion of a two-day meeting with senior state government officials over the mosquito-borne disease on Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reportedly said, "As on July 8 Karnataka recorded a total of 7,362 dengue cases, 303 patient hospitalizations and seven deaths since the beginning of this year."
With 185 fresh dengue cases reported on Tuesday, the state's total count went up to 7,547.
During the meeting held in New Delhi on Wednesday, Nadda urged officials to primarily focus on high-burden states and regions where outbreaks were frequently reported, and to proactively work with states to bring tangible results on dengue prevention.
The federal health minister also directed officials to create a 24/7 central helpline number for dengue prevention and awareness. He appealed to hospitals in the affected areas to ensure dedicated dengue wards fully equipped with trained manpower, drugs and other logistics. ■
