Surge in dengue, malaria cases in Faridabad linked to poor civic conditions, underreporting

The number of dengue and malaria cases in the district has surged almost threefold in the past two months. Currently, around 100 samples are being tested daily by the health department. Anti-mosquito fogging is carried out in affected areas and hotspots. However, open drains, clogged sewage systems and poor cleanliness are primarily blamed for the spread of these diseases.

There have been 136 confirmed cases of dengue and 29 of malaria. However, the actual number of cases could be much higher, as many cases may go unreported. According to sources within the administration, private clinics and hospitals are often not submitting the necessary sample reports to the civil hospital, as required. A laboratory employee, speaking anonymously said while every clinic or private hospital is supposed to send their reports daily to the health department, many fail to do so.

Varun Sheokand, a Sector 9 resident, shared his concern about his 7-year-old son, who was recently diagnosed with dengue. He is unsure if the sample report was submitted to the health department. He also mentioned that no fogging had been conducted in his area, even though it’s standard practice to carry out fogging in areas with confirmed cases.

Since January, over 4,300 notices have been issued for detecting mosquito larvae in the city. In addition, over 12,000 blood samples have been collected for dengue testing and over 203,000 slides have been prepared for fever-related cases as of October 31. In comparison, the district reported only 10 dengue and 8 malaria cases in August this year. Last year, a total of 193 cases of dengue and malaria were recorded.

Residents such as AK Gaur attribute the surge in diseases to poor civic conditions, such as the dumping of waste and garbage in open spaces along with the presence of open drains. Gaur stressed the lack of cleanliness drives has contributed to the rise in mosquito-borne diseases.

The malaria cell in-charge, Dr Ram Bhagat, said the health department has intensified efforts to combat the problem. These measures include increased sample collection, monitoring stagnant water in households and neighbourhoods and conducting fogging and chemical spraying in open water bodies.