The Delhi government will issue an order to all private hospitals and nursing homes to increase beds to cater to patients suffering from vector borne diseases, in view of the monsoon season.
 

In addition, 500 fever clinics would be established in different healthcare facilities across the national capital, a statement issued by the Health Department said. These decisions were taken during a meeting held by Health Minister Satyendar Jain with senior officials of the department and other stakeholder agencies. The meeting was held to review the preparedness and status of the actions taken for the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya and seasonal influenza. A special emphasis was on the across the border transmission of vector borne diseases.

A good intersectoral cross border coordination would be in place so that, if, there was an increasing trend of vector borne diseases in any of the neighbouring states and districts, timely control measures could be taken in other adjoining areas like Sonipat, Rewari, Rohtak, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Mewat, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Budh Nagar, the statement said. Besides, a control room at the headquarters of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) had been made functional 24x7 with helpline numbers (22307145, 22300012) to address the queries and grievances of public regarding vector borne diseases and seasonal influenza among others.

Jain also directed for strict implementation of prevention measures for vector borne diseases and called for vector control and community awareness activities in identified high-risk wards, underprivileged areas and unauthorised colonies among others. "A mechanism will be developed for monitoring of field staff by senior level officers of respective local body and the Health Department should monitor by randomly calling different households whether domestic breeding checker (DBC) visited their house," it said.

Helpline numbers regarding details of DBCs and field workers along with their work schedule would be advertised in leading newspapers in vernacular languages. In case of no visit by the DBC, people might lodge complaints and inform about the status of visits by DBCs or field workers in their respective areas on the given helpline number. All construction sites would be visited by field staff of local bodies on a weekly basis to check and eliminate breeding sites and a board containing information regarding vector control measures must be displayed there.

A minimum of 10 community awareness trainings would be conducted in each assembly and nodal officers of hospitals and dispensaries would be the trainers. Eleven district surveillance officers would coordinate and sensitise the medical officer of the dispensaries of their respective districts regarding prevention and control of vector borne diseases, and further sensitise the community at peripheral level.

Medical and paramedical staff of school health scheme will be involved in conducting trainings at schools. A detailed proposal covering all government and government aided schools would be submitted to the health secretary. "Swacchh Bharat Abhiyaan should be linked with vector borne disease awareness campaign. Community should be motivated to spare one hour every Sunday for cleaning of their households and surroundings during the transmission season," Jain said.

"An order regarding the increasing surge capacity of private hospitals and nursing homes (from August 1 to October 31), upto 10-20 per cent will be issued. Tariff levied by the concerned private hospitals/nursing homes for such beds shall not be more than the lowest economic category therein," the statement said.

IEC (Information, Education and Communication) would be done specifically targeting different breeding sites eg. waste on balcony, roof tops and roof sheds etc which are usually ignored during the routine breeding checking. Emphasis should be given on these sites during routine house to house breeding checking by the DBC.