Dengue outbreak: Health Ministry dispatches central teams to nine states and union territories

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday, the Union Health Ministry has rushed high-level teams to nine states and union territories reporting high dengue caseloads to assist them in public health measures for control and management of the infection.

These states and UTs are Haryana, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir, according to the release. Earlier, Union Health Minister Mansukh Madaviya directed health ministry officials to assist all States and UTs with high dengue caseloads.

A total of 1,16,991 dengue cases are being reported by states and UTs across the country.

“It has been decided by the competent authority to depute central teams to the identified states to assist the state governments by providing technical guidance, including public health measures, for managing the ongoing outbreak of dengue,” an office memorandum sent to principal secretaries (Health) and directors general of health services of the nine states and Union Territories.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday had directed the Union health secretary to identify and send team of experts to states with high active dengue cases, as he reviewed the situation in Delhi and assured the Centre’s full support.

Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting with the Delhi government to review the public health measures taken for control and management of dengue.

“Reviewed the dengue situation in Delhi and assured Centre’s full support,” the minister tweeted.

“On-ground initiatives like hotspot identification, fogging and timely treatment will be carried out to curb disease. Centre is also sending a team of experts to states with rising dengue cases,” he said.

The minister directed Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to identify the states with high active cases and send the teams. The best practices of these states are also to be recorded in the subsequent review meets, he said, according to a ministry statement.