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Delhi faces worst dengue outbreak in five years; over 2,000 tested positive

Delhi faces worst dengue outbreak in five years; over 2,000 tested positive

By :  DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-09-18 03:43 GMT
Two girls, aged three and nine, have become the latest victims of dengue in the city, taking the death toll to 16 on Thrusday in what is being billed as the worst outbreak of the vector-borne disease in the national capital in the past five years.
The AAP will also undertake a "house-to-house" campaign in which party volunteers will make people aware of the disease and report to the local malaria inspector if they come across any dengue patient.
As a precautionary measure, Delhi government has directed all schools to ensure that children come to school dressed in full sleeves shirts, trousers and salwar kameez for the next one month as a preventive measure to avoid mosquito bites.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said his government was mulling bringing a law to enable temporary takeover of private hospitals during emergencies.
 The AAP government had also announced 1031 as dengue helpline on Tuesday to help people in
The Minister said more dengue testing kits are being procured and private hospitals have been asked not to charge more than Rs 600 for the test that is free in government facilities.
"A blanket order has been issued giving hospitals powers to buy more beds, employ more doctors, nurses and paramedic staff depending on their requirement. All arrangements have been made to ensure best possible treatment to dengue patients," said
Currently, the total bed capacity of city hospitals is around 50,000, which include 10,000 beds in Delhi Government-run hospitals, and 20,000 in private hospitals. The hospitals run by municipal corporations and Centre have a capacity of 10,000 beds
"Private hospitals have been asked to increase capacity by 10 to 20 per cent. Even a rise of 2,500 in the number of beds in private hospitals would be a big jump," Jain said. He said all the hospitals have been told to also use the beds exclusively
Warning private hospitals of strict action if they turn away any dengue patient, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said they must stabilise the affected persons and make necessary arrangements for their treatment.
Grappling with the worst dengue outbreak in five years, Delhi government issued a "blanket order" giving its hospitals powers to employ more doctors and nursing staff and directed private hospitals to increase bed capacity to deal with rising cases
"There is lack of space so we had to open fever clinics in the driver's room. There is resentment among drivers as we have taken away their rooms, but we don't have space otherwise," said Dr Amita Saxena, Medical Superintendent of Lal Bahadur
The condition is pathetic at government hospitals, which are grappling with shortage of space and staff along with shortage of beds.
Battling to provide treatment to the increasing number of patients pouring in at government facilities, hospitals like Ram Manohar Lohia have asked patients to share beds with saline, in many cases being administered to patients on the stretcher
The surge in dengue cases in the national capital have led to a serious space crunch in government hospitals with a facility in east Delhi operating a fever clinic from the driver's room while another prominent hospital has emptied its ortho and eye
According to municipal corporation officials, over 2,000 people have tested positive for the vector-borne disease. The death toll as per the official data still stands at 5.
Delhi faces worst dengue outbreak in five years; over 2,000 tested positive

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