New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) From reserving five per cent beds at hospitals for dengue patients to providing information daily on such cases there, on the city health department's portal, are among the slew of measures the Delhi government has undertaken to check its spread, officials said Wednesday.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj held a meeting with medical directors and superintendents of various hospitals in the city on Monday and discussed protocols that need to be formulated on dengue amid a spike in its cases in the national capital.

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In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Delhi health department said, instructions have also been given to authorities to provide dengue test reports within 6-8 hours for timely treatment.

He has instructed all hospital authorities to provide information daily on dengue patients admitted to their hospitals, on the city health department's portal, similar to how all medical facilities used to report COVID-19 data daily during the pandemic. This practice will help the government stay informed about the current situation of dengue in Delhi and enable them to make well-organised arrangements to tackle any potential emergencies effectively, the statement said.

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Delhi reported 56 fresh dengue cases in the past week, taking the tally to more than 240, according to a municipal corporation report released on Monday.

The minister said the health department has ramped up efforts to combat dengue and other vector-borne diseases in the capital, and as part of which he conducted a surprise inspection of the LNJP Hospital on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Bhardwaj individually inquired about the current situation of dengue in each of the hospitals.

It was told that preparations to combat dengue are underway in almost all hospitals, and they "appear to be well-prepared to handle dengue cases", the statement said. However, no hospital official mentioned any emergency-like situation related to dengue so far.

"Based on the information shared during the meeting by the officials, it can be stated that the current situation in Delhi regarding dengue is normal," the statement said.

Directions have been issued to all hospitals to "reserve five per cent of their beds for dengue patients," the statement quoted Bharadwaj as saying.

The health minister also instructed hospital authorities to "establish separate wards for dengue patients" in their respective hospitals.

This segregation will protect other patients from the risk of dengue spread and ensure that dengue patients receive prompt and adequate treatment with dedicated doctors and nursing staff, the statement said.

Bhardwaj also directed that mosquito nets be placed around beds of all dengue patients to prevent spread of dengue.

According to the latest report issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the dengue tally was at 243 till July 28.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)