Amid rising cases of Dengue in the state of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed that it was happening due to Bangladesh, which is witnessing a sudden spike in the numbers leading to record hospitalisation. According to PTI, Banerjee said that Dengue is spreading in the state from Bangladesh and more tests must be conducted at the border to keep a check. She said that border surveillance needs to be ramped up in the wake of rising cases.
Speaking in the assembly, as quoted by PTI, she said, "Dengue is spreading in West Bengal from Bangladesh. I can't prevent anyone from entering (from Bangladesh). But border surveillance should be increased and necessary tests must be conducted on those entering India from the neighbouring country."
As per PTI, four people, including a 10-year-old girl from Kolkata’sPicnic Garden area, have died due to the disease.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, who is in Kolkata, said that his government has no issues if the West Bengal administration plans to conduct tests on those entering the eastern state from Bangladesh.
"If as a precautionary measure, India wants to take these steps we have no objection. We are doing everything to tackle the problem of dengue in our country. During the COVID period too, such measures were in place," he said, as quoted by PTI.
As concerns remain over an increase in the number of Dengue cases, Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi held a meeting with all the district magistrates and senior officials to review the preparedness to combat the viral infection in the monsoon season.
In Bangladesh, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), at least 176 people, including 31 children aged below 14, had died of the mosquito-borne fever until Sunday night.
As per the data, Wednesday was the deadliest day when 19 people died of the disease which has seen nearly 33,000 hospitalisations this year, reported Al Jazeera.
According to the news outlet, health experts in the South Asian nation say the disease has already reached an “epidemic” proportion, even though the government has not officially declared one.
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