Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi takes stock of dengue crisis in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Concerned over the rapid spread of dengue and crisis of beds in hospitals in Delhi, the Home Ministry today reviewed the situation in the national capital and directed the city government to take all possible steps to ameliorate people's sufferings.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi today held a meeting with Delhi Chief Secretary K K Sharma, who briefed him about the steps taken by the Delhi government to check the spread of dengue and action taken to give relief to people.

Mehrishi also assured the city government all central assistance to handle the situation arising out of the rapid spread of dengue in the capital, official sources said.

A three-year-old girl succumbed to dengue today, taking the toll to 15, as hospitals across the capital continued to wilt under huge rush of patients while an embattled Delhi government has directed all medical institutions to urgently increase bed capacity and employ more doctors and nurses.

Arvind Kejriwal government had already directed officials to set up 600 new beds at three hospitals, which are not-yet fully functional, in Janakpuri, Ashok Vihar and Tahirpur areas for fever and vector-borne disease patients.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain recently directed officials to buy 1,000 new beds to accommodate dengue patients in government hospitals.