Dengue cases continued to spike in West Bengal, with the state reporting 38,181 infections till September 20, according to the health department. Amid the grim situation, the government has issued a 15-point guideline prescribing 24x7 fever clinics and dengue detection centres.
Dengue Cases Near 4,500-Mark In Kolkata
North 24 Parganas is the worst affected district, with 8,535 cases, followed by Kolkata (4,427). Murshidabad, Nadia and Hooghly have reported 4266, 4233 and 3083 cases respectively.
The eight districts of North Bengal have registered 3276 cases. Malda has the highest number of dengue cases in North Bengal, reporting 1,337 cases. Last week, the number was just 187.
In 2022, Bengal logged the highest dengue cases in the country (67,271) and recorded 30 deaths, as per National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control data.
Govt Issues Guidelines, To Conduct Cleanliness Drive In Hospitals
Following the sudden rise in cases, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi chaired a meeting with district magistrates, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) commissioner and chief medical officers of all districts at the state secretariat Nabanna on Monday.
At the meeting, the government ordered all district administrations to immediately clean all dengue hotspots.
"Focused intensive cleaning will be taken up at all the hotspots immediately based on the entomological alerts. Special emphasis will be given to the removal of scrap materials, management of construction sites, closed factory premises and vacant lands," the Bengal government said in a statement.
A cleanliness drive of marketplaces, both in urban and peri-urban areas, and hospitals will also be done.
"For proper management of dengue cases, both in private and government medical facilities, regular visits by district observer teams will be ensured. The fever clinics and dengue testing facility will remain operational on a 24x7 basis at the government facilities in affected areas," the statement further said.
The government has said strict legal action would be taken against those not following the directions and cautioned that dengue cases might increase during the upcoming Durga Puja festival in October.
Special drives in semi-urban areas for sanitation and waste management will be carried out in all districts. The district magistrates have also been directed to distribute mosquito nets in high-burden slum and hotspot areas.
"Micro plans will be prepared for long-term improvement of solid and liquid waste management in these areas. To prevent clogging of drainage, awareness generation against the use of single-use plastic will also be done," the government said.
Leaves Of Health Dept, KMC Employees Cancelled
Amid the alarming situation, the government has cancelled the leaves of all the health department officials associated with the dengue management programme till the situation normalises.
The KMC has also cancelled the leaves of its entire staff for the next two months. The employees will not be able to take leaves during Durga Puja in October and Diwali in November, IANS reported.