India, July 2 -- Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Wednesday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess Delhi's preparedness for preventing and controlling dengue, directing authorities to strengthen surveillance, hospital readiness and public awareness ahead of the peak transmission season. The meeting reviewed the current dengue situation, preparedness of the Delhi government, municipal bodies and hospitals, as well as disease surveillance, vector control measures and clinical management protocols. Officials also presented a comprehensive action plan focusing on disease surveillance, mosquito control, early case detection, treatment and community awareness. Also Read - Delhi court reserves verdict in wrestlers' sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan While noting that dengue incidence remains low and the mortality rate stands at 0.11 per cent, Nadda urged authorities not to lower their guard. He said, "The state and municipal bodies must proactively anticipate and prepare for any potential upsurge by clearly demonstrating their readiness." Emphasising community participation, the Union minister called for an aggressive awareness campaign under the slogan "Jan Chetna through Jan Bhagidari". He asked authorities to organise special awareness drives in schools, labour camps and dengue-prone areas while involving Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), ward commissioners and elected representatives in prevention efforts. Also Read - Migration, duplicate addresses complicate SIR exercise in Delhi's unauthorised colonies, slums Nadda directed officials to intensify vector control in areas reporting increased fever cases, strengthen entomological surveillance to identify hotspots and expand fever surveillance across affected localities. He also instructed authorities to ensure hospitals maintain dedicated dengue wards, adequate beds, blood components, diagnostic facilities, medicines and insecticides. The minister further asked Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals and both public and private healthcare facilities to remain on alert and directed that all dengue cases be reported promptly through the Integrated Health Information Platform for Vector-Borne Diseases (IHIP-VBD). He also called for daily district-level review meetings and rapid response teams to respond quickly to any outbreak. The meeting reviewed implementation of the National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Dengue, known as the "Octalogue", which is built around eight pillars, including surveillance, case management, vector control, outbreak response, capacity building and public awareness.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.