The dengue situation in Delhi is completely under control and an adequate number of beds are available in hospitals, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday.
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“Patients from outside Delhi are also being treated here. At present, 25% of the total dengue patients in Delhi hospitals are from outside the city. COVID-19 was at its peak in 2020. Since people were indoors, the dengue cases came down rapidly. But the dengue situation this year is not worse than what it was in 2019,” Mr. Jain said.
Of the 221 patients admitted to hospitals with dengue, 25% are from outside the city. The percentage of beds reserved for COVID-19 patients has been reduced to 10% so that there will be enough beds for dengue patients, the government said.
“There are about 11,000 beds in Delhi government hospitals, but only 221 patients are admitted there. So, it is clear that there is no dearth of beds. However, fever patients are coming to some hospitals, due to which there is overcrowding. But those who are not dengue positive after the test are recovering in a day or two,” an official statement said.
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As per the Delhi government figures, the city had reported 1,069 dengue cases till October in 2019, 612 cases during the same period in 2020, and 723 cases till October 16 this year. But for the same period, 14,889 cases were reported in 2015, 3,650 in 2016, 3,829 in 2017, and 1,595 in 2018.
“Delhi had the least number of dengue deaths in 2019. So far this year, only one death has been reported,” the statement said.