Anil Baijal holds meet on chikungunya

New Delhi: Days after the municipal corporations reported at least 60 cases of chikungunya in Delhi, lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal on Thursday held a review meeting with the three municipal commissioners on preparations for combating vector-borne diseases in the city.

“The L-G reviewed preparation for combating dengue and chikungunya, with all stakeholders. He directed that SOPs (standard operating procedures) be strictly monitored and public awareness must be raised,” a senior official with the
L-G office said.

At least 60 cases of chikungunya have been reported in the national capital this year with nearly half of them registered this month. Sixteen cases of dengue have also been reported in the last three months, according to a municipal report released on Monday.

The municipal authorities had recently called an all hands workshop on prevention and control of vector-borne diseases to finalise a comprehensive action plan for combating the menace in the coming season. In the workshop, SDMC commissioner P.K. Goel had asked officials to “identify the cases of dengue and chikungunya coming to Delhi from other states”.

Earlier in the day, Mr Baijal also directed the Delhi police to widely publicise its “One Touch Away” mobile application so that people could utilise its services optimally. The direction was issued at a meeting chaired by Mr Baijal who reviewed the “use of technology by Delhi police”.

The meeting was attended by Delhi’s principal home secretary, police commissioner and other senior officials. In the meeting, the L-G also directed the force to evolve the technology for proper upkeep of records.

The “One Touch Away App” is operational where various issues like loss report, motor vehicle theft, property theft, senior citizen app. “The L-G has asked the police commissioner to regularly test check the systems in place, utilise various apps in operation optimally, keep on digitising services offered to the people of Delhi,” the lieutenant-governor’s office said in a statement.

A total of 4,431 cases of dengue were reported till the end of 2016, according to the report by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation which tabulates the data on behalf of all municipal corporations in the city. Out of the 60 chikungunya cases reported till March 18, 27 of them were recorded this month. In January 20 cases were reported, while 13 in February. Six cases of dengue were reported in January, four in February and six in March till now.

Till January 14, only two chikungnuya cases were reported, while no dengue case had been reported till then. Chikungunya and dengue cases in the national capital had tapered off by December first week in last year ending the vector-borne disease season in the city that witnessed its outbreak in the last 10 years, but cases are still being registered.

At least 15 fatalities were reported last year at various hospitals in the city due to complications triggered by chikungunya, though the civic bodies have kept the death tally at zero.

At least 21 deaths due to dengue were reported last year at various hospitals, including nine at AIIMS, though the official tally of the SDMC stood at 10. The season for the vector-borne diseases begins from mid-July and generally lasts till November-end.