Union Health Minister reviews preparedness against waterborne diseases in Delhi

New Delhi: As monsoon sets in, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan along with Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Thursday met Health Department and civic body officials and discussed measures to be taken to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases in the national capital.

According to officials, various measures to combat malaria, dengue and chikungunya, which claim several lives every year in Delhi and adjacent areas, were discussed in the high level meeting, which was attended by among others Superintendents of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital and three New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) officials.

In a bid to create awareness among the public, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan along with the officials from the Delhi government will embark on a three-day visit to various houses next week.

The Delhi government has already started an awareness campaign in various schools and remote areas to educate people about infectious diseases and how to keep these diseases under check during the monsoon season.

As part of precautionary measures, fogging, spraying larvicide, checking tanks and sumps in all households will be carried out in the city.

According to the officials, a total of 92 cases of malaria, 91 cases of dengue and 26 cases of Chikungunya have been reported from different parts of the city till date. Of the 92 cases of malaria, 44 cases are from Delhi. Besides, 22 cases of dengue were also reported from the city ahead of the monsoon.