New Delhi: The Karnataka government officially declared dengue an epidemic disease on Tuesday following a significant rise in cases across the state. According to data from the Health Department, there have been 7,362 confirmed dengue cases between January and July this year, with seven fatalities reported.In response to the alarming situation, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a comprehensive action plan to combat the spread of the disease. 7,362 dengue cases have been registered till now this year. Seven people have died. Ten beds in a ward must be allotted at every hospital for dengue cases... Free mosquito nets must be provided to slum residents, he stated.Officials response and preventive measuresKarnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao emphasized that the government is closely monitoring the situation and has issued strict instructions to all departments to continue efforts in source reduction. We are monitoring the situation... We have strictly instructed all departments to keep doing source reduction... We have asked Asha workers and volunteers to go house to house... The government is working full time... The main thing is to control the spread of mosquitoes and also to stop deaths from happening, he said.Government of Karnataka notifies Dengue fever, including severe forms of Dengue fever as an Epidemic Diseases in the state and makes regulations to amend the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Regulations 2020 pic.twitter.com/OZZRGMqTXP— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2024Public awarenessDespite earlier dismissing the need for a medical emergency declaration, Health Minister Rao has urged hospitals to prepare by keeping beds ready for potential dengue patients. He assured that government hospitals are fully equipped to provide necessary treatment, including intravenous fluids and platelets. Rao also stressed the importance of public awareness, advising people to visit hospitals at the appropriate stage of a fever. The districts currently experiencing a surge in dengue cases include Chikkamagaluru, Mysuru, Haveri, Dharwad, and Chitradurga.
