Delhi government launches dengue helpline

The Delhi government on Monday launched a 24-hour helpline for dengue, following a surge in the number of cases of the viral disease in the capital.

"The helpline 011-23307145 will function round the clock to provide all relevant information about dengue and its treatment," a city government official said.

Taking serious note of the dengue outbreak in the capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reviewed the preparation to check the spread of the disease.

The meeting was attended by Health Minister Satyendra Jain along with 27 legislators, who are chairpersons of the Rogi Kalyam Samitis in government hospitals.

"Please visit the hospitals twice every day. Ensure that this is continued till the panic of dengue is done away with," Kejriwal told the legislators.

"While you visit the hospital, talk to the patients. See that there is no panic. Ensure that the stock of medicines is proper, ensure that the hospital is clean and no one is turned away by the hospital," he directed.

Jain said the government has made the three parliamentary secretaries for health as the nodal point for coordination to handle dengue-related issues with the legislators.

The parliamentary secretaries would coordinate for any kind of medicine shortage, test kit shortage and other issues related with the disease.

Meanwhile, in a separate meeting with the commissioners of the three units of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD), Jain directed them to immediately ensure door-to-door preventive measures and awareness campaigns against dengue on a war-footing.

"There is an urgent need to dispel the notion of panic from the minds of people about the spread of dengue," Jain said.

The health minister directed the municipal commissioners to send out bulk SMSes to people containing the message: "Dengue is curable and there is no cause for panic."

"Field MCD workers reach every home to put medicines in all possible sources of standing clean water and carry out fumigation drives in residential areas and market places," Jain directed at the meeting.

The minister expressed displeasure with the slow pace of fumigation and asked the municipal commissioners to take strict action against those responsible for the lapse.

"The health secretary will be the nodal point of contact for coordination with the MCD officials -- in case they require anything -- ranging from medicines to awareness material," he said.

Jain also directed the health department and municipal commissioners to send him a daily report on the number of dengue cases in all hospitals across the capital.