In Dwarka, it’s an open invite to diseases

New Delhi: With the highest number of dengue (357) and chikungunya (202) cases having been reported from Dwarka, residents say that the diseases have spread due to a general lack of cleanliness in the area. Patients queuing up at private hospitals claim that the authorities overlooked the impending epidemic and didn’t take timely and necessary measures.
“The Najafgarh drain, which passes through the sub-city, is a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” said Manju Gupta.Her husband, Jagjivan Ram, is being treated for dengue at Ayushman Hospital. “We decided to shift to a private hospital, even though it is expensive, so that he can get proper treatment. Services at government hospitals are poor,” she added.
Manoj Khushwaha, a coconut seller and resident of Qutub Vihar, said that he had to wait for hours at a government hospital for his turn to get treated. “The quality of treatment at government hospitals here is forcing many poor patients to travel to Ram Manohar Lohia, AIIMS and others at distant places as they can’t afford treatment at private institutions in Dwarka,” he said.
The CMO of Ayushman Hospital said that the number of patients at private units have surged and 98% of those coming for check-up are suffering from high fever.
People were also angry with the civic authorities for not taking adequate measures to contain the diseases.
“All six members of my family have contracted chikungunya in the last 10 days,” said Anuj Bhandari, who recently admitted his 70-year-old chikungunya-ridden father to Bensups Hospital. Bhandari, who runs a playschool, is also concerned about those students who haven’t attended school for over a week now.
Dwarka CGHS general secretary, Sudha Sinha said, “The situation here is grim almost every year. Last year there were 60 dengue deaths in Delhi, which should have made the authorities proactive this year. Waterlogging and heaps of garbage in our area have become mosquito breeding grounds.”
Sinha claimed that the poor condition is due to an ongoing tussle between the AAP MLA and the BJP-run municipal corporation. “When we complained to the MLA, he said it was the corporation’s prerogative to clean the area. The civic body expressed helplessness saying they have only two fogging machines,” she added.
“They fumigated our area 20 days ago which is inadequate. We keep mosquito repellent machines switched on throughout the day and only wear long-sleeved shirts,” said Naveen Goyal, who had taken his daughter, Shasya, to Rockland Hospital for treatment.
Several societies have bought their own fumigation machines despite the WHO directive that it is unsafe in untrained hands. Local chemists claimed that the sale of mosquito-repelling ointments and lotions have skyrocketed, especially since last Saturday.