<div>Overnight showers in the national capital and prediction of more rains has triggered an alarm among health officials, with experts warning on Saturday that the dengue situation might worsen.</div><div> </div><div>According to experts, the aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the dengue virus to humans, breeds in clean water and the showers might lead to water accumulation on rooftops, and other spots.</div><div> </div><div>"When intermittent rains take place, common diseases which pose risk to people are dengue, malaria and chikungunia. At a time when hospitals are already grappling with shortage of beds with more patients approaching them for treatment for dengue, it might be an alarming situation," a senior doctor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said.</div><div> </div><div>Another doctor at RML Hospital shared his concern, calling upon the civic bodies to be more efficient in ensuring that water doesn't collect at places.</div><div> </div><div>"This is really a matter of concern as already hospitals are flooded with patients and health centres are groaning with shortages of beds, people have to be sensitised too. Also the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) should check mosquito breeding at the sensitive places," he said.</div><div> </div><div>"Civic bodies will have to intensify checking of mosquito breeding grounds as puddles near houses and office buildings are major risks," he added.</div><div> </div><div>According to MCD officials, they have been regularly sending people from door-to-door for the mosquito breeding checks.</div><div> </div><div>"If there is any collection of water anywhere, we will step up our measures there. The residents should also take precautions," they said.</div><div> </div><div>Charan Singh, Nodal Officer said, "To tackle this issue door-to-door awareness campaign and active volunteer participation is necessary and there is need to take on board NGOs too for the purpose. The approach has to be wholesome to tackle the menace".</div><div> </div><div>Four more persons succumbed to dengue in the capital on Friday, taking the death toll to 20, prompting the Delhi government to approve nearly 800 additional beds in 48 private hospitals.</div><div> </div><div>Facing criticism for failing to control the situation, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had reached out to the Opposition parties seeking their suggestions to deal with the crisis.</div><div> </div><div>On Wednesday, the Delhi government had directed private hospitals to increase their bed capacity by 10-20 per cent as soon as possible to treat dengue patients.</div><div> </div><div>The Aam Aadmi Party has also decided to set up "fever clinics" across Delhi to offer free treatment to the patients.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Incompetent Civic Bodies</strong></div><div>The ruling party accused the BJP-ruled civic bodies of "total failure" in containing spread of the vector-borne disease.</div><div> </div><div>Currently, the total bed capacity of city hospitals is around 50,000 which include 10,000 beds in Delhi government- run hospitals and 20,000 in private hospitals. The hospitals run by municipal corporations and Centre have a capacity of 10,000 beds each.</div><div> </div><div>People are demanding that fumigation should be stepped up by civic bodies.</div><div> </div><div>A section of residents living in south Delhi, from where a number of dengue death cases have been reported, are complaining that "not enough" is being done by MCD to combat the health menace.</div><div> </div><div>"Well, the MCD hardly sends anyone to fumigate the area. And, this year, with even so many cases, they are taking things lightly," said 80-year-old J.C. Bakshi, who lives in Lajpat Nagar.</div><div> </div><div>Rohan Desai, a resident of Kalkaji in south Delhi, also criticised the municipal corporations.</div><div> </div><div>"Some of these dengue deaths were preventable. There was fumigation in my area last week, but this week I haven't seen it happening. And, even if it has been done, MCD needs to step up its efforts. What they are doing is not enough," he said.</div><div> </div><div>(Agencies)</div>
