New Delhi|HL
Monsoon brings more than 100 cases of malaria in national capital Delhi. The city has already witnessed 113 cases of the diseases which a matter of health worry for Delhities.
The numbers of dengue cases have inched close to 100. According to a corporation data released on Tuesday, the number of chikungunya cases recorded stand at 149.
The data says of the 113 people affected by malaria, 70 belonged to Delhi, while the rest were traced to other states. Officials said at least 40 malaria cases have been recorded this month alone.
Malaria is spread by the anopheles mosquito that can breed in dirty water. The increase in incidence of mosquito-borne diseases is despite the large-scale awareness drive held by the corporations.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had last month directed the authorities to make a comprehensive plan in the matter, while the civic bodies are keeping a tab on mosquito-breeding, in and out of homes, through regular monitoring.
The Delhi government on June 23 had issued instructions to state-run and private hospitals along with nursing homes to increase their bed capacity by up to 20% for the next six months to deal with the possible outbreak of dengue and chikungunya.
The government has also banned over-the-counter sale of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and brufen as their use may “pose a threat” to dengue patients.