PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
As dengue cases have begun to emerge in Dehradun district, the Health department has switched to alert mode to initiate prevention measures earlier than in past years. According to official sources, 15 dengue cases were recently reported at private facilities, including Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital and Graphic Era Hospital in Dehradun. The early onset of dengue cases this year is raising concerns, as April has typically not been the initial month for such cases in the past. This situation has prompted questions regarding the readiness and preparations of the
Health department to address and manage dengue cases effectively.
Speaking to The Pioneer, the Dehradun chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma said that about 15 dengue cases have been recently recorded in two hospitals in Dehradun, specifically at Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital and Graphic Era Hospital. Of these 15 cases, 13 were confirmed positive at Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, with seven patients hailing from Dehradun and five from other cities. Additionally, two positive cases were reported at the Graphic Era Hospital. Dr Sharma said that the Health department was recently made aware of these cases because the hospitals’ administration communicated via email rather than updating on the online portal. In light of the recent cases, the Health department has begun to take action.
Following his instructions, the department teams have conducted visits to the said hospitals for active surveillance activities. He stated that during this active surveillance, the team will investigate whether the recently encountered positive cases have been infected in Dehradun or other cities. The report from this active surveillance will be available soon and based on its findings, the department will take further action.
He added that if the active surveillance report indicates that there are infected cases in Dehradun, a containment operation will be carried out in 50 homes near the residences of the positive cases. This operation will include fogging and the distribution of mosquito nets, among other measures. He confirmed that the abrupt seasonal changes, marked by sunny days followed by occasional rain, have contributed to the early reports of dengue cases. In light of the recent rise in early dengue cases, the health department has decided to start their dengue awareness and prevention campaign earlier than usual, as it is typically launched later in previous years.
Dr Sharma said that the awareness campaign regarding dengue inspections by ASHAs will begin shortly, with the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) being instructed to initiate fogging operations in the affected wards. Additionally, a meeting will be held in the coming days with private hospitals to discuss dengue cases and other essential directives. He highlighted that two types of tests are conducted for dengue: one is rapid testing, and the other is the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). According to the health department, positive results from the ELISA test confirm dengue cases.
