Delhi: Amid rising dengue cases, AAP govt to launch vector campaign after G20

Sep 06, 2023

New Delhi [India], September 6 : With Delhi, this year, reporting the highest number of dengue cases in the last six years, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is planning to launch a public awareness campaign on the vector-borne ailment after the G20 summit, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said on Wednesday.
He added that the campaign to raise public awareness on dengue will be called 'Ten weeks, Ten Minutes at Ten'.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Bhardwaj said, "As soon as the G20 ends, we will launch a campaign (against dengue) — 'Ten weeks, Ten Minutes at Ten' — to enable residents to be wary of the risks and not store water as it aids the breeding of mosquitoes."
As many as 243 cases of dengue have been reported in the national capital till July 28 this year, according to data shared by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). 
The minister said hospital beds are marked for dengue patients and the number of such beds has been shared on public portals.
"For Dengue we have marked beds separately. The number of such beds has been shared on our public portals," Bhardwaj said. 
He informed further that hospital beds and ICUs have been marked separately for any health emergency during the G20 summit, which is to be held on September 9 and 10 in the national capital. 
"For G20, we have marked beds, emergency spaces and ICUs to promptly address public health emergencies, if any," Bhardwaj said.
The dengue situation in the national capital this year was aggravated by the widespread flooding caused by an overflowing Yamuna River, according to officials.
The flooding, which the AAP blamed on the release of water from the Hathnikund barrage in neighbouring Haryana, inundated vast areas of the Capital for days.
A strike by the MCD staff tasked with checking the breeding of mosquitoes also worsened the dengue situation in the national capital this year, officials said.