Dengue outbreak showed up government failure on health, sanitation fronts

"On my fourth visit to the hospital, one of the doctors advised me to do some tests. The results came in and I was diagnosed with dengue but by then, I was severely affected with the deadly disease," he pointed out.

Patients feel that the dengue treatment at government hospitals is mediocre when compared to private clinics. The casual attitude and callousness on the part of some doctors in government health centres - especially in the rural areas - make matters worse.

"Unlike city dwellers, we do not have access to the cutting-edge healthcare. We cannot afford to travel to urban areas for treatment or go for expensive tests. Most of the time, we leave the fate of the dengue patients to god," narrated a farmer from a remote village in Uttar Pradesh.

People in the remote areas do not even have basic information about the symptoms of this disease.

"Every year, we have this alarming situation and the government alone cannot be expected to do everything for us. Unless we remain vigilant in our own colonies and ensure water is not collected anywhere and ensure regular spraying of insecticide is done by civic bodies, such diseases cannot be defeated," Rachna Kucheria, a general physician practising in Delhi, told IANS here.

Last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a nationwide cleanliness campaign or Swachh Bharat Mission.

"But it should not become a mere PR exercise. The state and the people should be practical and strive together to defeat this deadly disease," Kucheria added.

According to the statistics collected till October 17 by the areas under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, they have recorded 2,659 dengue cases -- the highest in Delhi -- while areas under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation have recorded 1,551 cases. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation recorded 2,638 cases. The areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council recorded 197 cases.

The official toll of dengue in the capital stood at 32, but the unofficial deaths confirmed by various hospitals stood at 85.

The first dengue-related death in the capital was recorded on August 5