AAP Seeks to “Bridge Gaps” to Fight Chikungunya, Toll Rises to 12

Five more deaths took place at Apollo Hospital and most of the victims were aged 80 or above.

People suffering from dengue and chikungunya being treated at a Delhi hospital on 31 Aug, 2016. (Photo: IANS)

Amid the blame game over chikungunya deaths in the national capital, AAP on Wednesday called for “bridging gaps” between the Delhi government and the BJP-ruled civic bodies, and underlined the need to “rise above politics” in tackling the health crisis.

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra quoted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as having said “no matter what”, the various agencies and political parties will have to work together to tackle chikungunya that has so far claimed at least 12 lives in Delhi this season.

This came a day after Kejriwal said Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be “questioned” over the issue as “all powers” regarding the city’s governance “rest with them”.

Striking a conciliatory note, Mishra said the “barriers” among the Delhi government, the Lt Governor, the civic bodies and the Centre should be “brought down” in favour of “one Delhi” as “passing the buck” would only trouble the residents of the national capital.

“We have to fight these diseases together, forgetting politics. No matter what, we will have to be united in eliminating these diseases and mosquitoes,” Mishra quoted Kejriwal as having told him.

Delhi’s seven MPs, 70 MLAs and 272 municipal councillors can do it together by hitting the streets and undertaking fogging exercises wherever possible. In fact, the MPs should lead the programme and guide the MLAs and councillors. 

Kapil Mishra, Delhi Water Minister

AAP’s Delhi convener Dilip Pandey also made a similar appeal, saying everyone, including the elected representatives of BJP and AAP, should work together to combat chikungunya.

Five more deaths from chikungunya complications were reported on Wednesday at a private hospital in Delhi, while AIIMS confirmed two more cases, taking to 10 the number of fatalities due to the vector-borne disease in the national capital.

All five deaths have taken place at Apollo Hospital and most of the victims were aged 80 or above.

We have had five deaths in the past three weeks of patients with chikungunya fever, most of whom were elderly. 80-year-old Mahendra Singh from Ghaziabad died of chikungunya complications on Tuesday afternoon. He was diagnosed positive for chikungunya through RT-PCR test. He died of multi-organ failure triggered by complications from the disease. 

Hospital Authorities

Chikungunya is taking its toll in the national capital where the number of cases have climbed to over 1,000 this season and fever clinics are getting swamped with patients.