Community participation must for checking Dengu: Shastri

New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) Expressing concern over increasing cases of Dengue in the capital, Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri today sought community participation in preventing the spread of the diseases.

''To control Dengue it is important to take effective measures to stop the breeding of mosquitoes.... People's participation is very important and can play a vital role in checking the diseases,'' Mr Shastri said while inaugurating a training programme for nodal officers of Government, private organizations and RWAs on prevention and control of Dengue fever.

Dr Shastri said it was essential to create awareness among the masses to check diseases like Dengue.

Around 100 delegates from government and private organisations, RWAs, Delhi Police, Private and government hospitals, DDA and Education institutions have nominated their nodal officers for the programme.

The Health Minister appealed to all the nodal officers to educate citizens to make the training programme successful.

In the week till September 10, 66 cases of Dengue were reported in Delhi, out of which 43 cases are from Delhi and 23 from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and other states.

Six cases were fatal in which only two cases were from Delhi and others were from outside Delhi.

While 10 cases were reported from Rohini and 12 were reported from Najafgarh area during the period. MCD has visited more than 4.5 lakh houses for domestic breeding where 4,556 cases were found positive.

Legal notices were issued to 2,525 cases and 1,672 were prosecuted.

During the same week only 13 cases of Cholera and 37 cases of Malaria were reported in Delhi.

Dr Shastri has directed MCD to make special programmes to control the breeding of mosquitoes. He has instructed MCD and NDMC to depute additional staff to survey the houses, high rise buildings, public places and schools and to take strict actions.

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