Accelerate preventive steps to check dengue, chikungunya: CS

New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) With a spurt in dengue andchikungunya cases in Delhi, Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha todayasked various agencies to accelerate preventive actions likefogging, running public awareness programmes and putting up aneffective monitoring system. He reviewed the preparedness for both the vector bornediseases during a meeting of committee of secretaries of theCentre and representatives of the Delhi government andmunicipal bodies. "The Cabinet Secretary asked the participants toaccelerate action for prevention and management of dengue andchikungunya and said that these actions should be furtherfacilitated by running public awareness programmes… "…Availability of medicines and doctors, helplinefacilities to the people and use of mobile clinics. He alsoasked them to put effective monitoring system in place," anofficial statement said. According to a municipal report, 432 chikungunya caseshave been diagnosed in the national capital till August 27.However, experts said the number could be actually muchhigher. Altogether 487 cases of dengue have also been reported inthe national capital this season, with 368 of them recorded inAugust. "Sinha hoped that the residents will also participate bytaking necessary preventive measures by maintainingcleanliness in their areas and the local bodies will carry outnecessary increased fogging in the area. "The Committee was also informed that there was noshortage of testing kits and medicines," the statement said. The meeting was attended by secretaries of the Healthdepartment, health research, Ayush, pharmaceuticals, Delhi’schief secretary and senior officers from ministries of urbandevelopment, I&B, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, EDMC, NDMCand SDMC. PTI TDS RCJ ZMNRCJ