Delhi health minister directs hospitals to formulate protocol on dengue

New Delhi: Hospitals in Delhi have been directed to formulate protocols on dengue amid a spike in cases, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Tuesday.

The minister also said medical directors and superintendents of hospitals run by the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been called for a meeting later in the day regarding dengue, he said during an inspection of facilities at LNJP Hospital.

Bharadwaj also warned of action against schools found violating the directions on dengue.

"In Delhi and north India, the rain started earlier than usual. Delhi received rainfall in April, May, June and July. There are indications that vector-borne diseases are increasing and even dengue cases are seeing a spike. All the hospitals have been directed to formulate protocols for dengue like (they did for) corona (COVID-19)," he told PTI Video.

Delhi reported 56 fresh dengue cases in the past week, taking the tally to over 240, according to a municipal corporation report on Monday.

According to the latest report issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the tally was at 243 till July 28.

The minister added that he will inspect some schools on Wednesday to check the compliance of norms for full-sleeved clothing by students.

"All the schools have been directed to ask students to wear clothes with full sleeves and be fully covered. Schools are not following the directions. Tomorrow (Wednesday), I will be going on a surprise inspection to some schools along with district magistrates. Wherever there will be lapses, action will be taken," he said.

Talking about the inspection at LNJP Hospital, Bharadwaj said some "things here were not according to expectations".

"I have called a meeting at 3 pm of medical superintendents and directors of government and MCD hospitals to issue directions based on the learnings of the inspections conducted so far," the health minister said.

Bharadwaj said he has directed the MCD commissioner to get fogging done using drones in areas with under-construction buildings and other places, adding that if there is a budget crunch, "we will provide".

The national capital is also seeing a rise in eye flu cases and Bharadwaj noted that schools have been asked to follow precautions.

"We have issued an advisory on eye flu but since it is not a serious disease, schools have been asked to inform parents that they should not send their children if they have eye flu. Schools have been asked to follow precautions, " he said.

When asked about the Delhi services bill that is expected to be introduced in the Lok Sabha, he said, "All the opposition parties have issued a whip to their members. We hope that we will be able to defeat it in Rajya Sabha."