Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed officials to form a district-wise task force to tackle the increasing number of dengue cases in the State.

The Chief Minister has said that the district hospitals must have special wards to treat dengue patients and the respective Deputy Commissioners (DCs), ZP CEOs and District Health and Family Welfare Officers must form a co-ordination committee and conduct regular meetings to discuss on tackling the dengue situation.

Siddaramaiah also instructed that medical colleges in the State must also make arrangements to identify and treat dengue patients. “Monitoring the health condition of dengue-positive patients must be given utmost priority. Officials must ensure regular monitoring is taken up till the end of the monsoon season to prevent fatalities,” he said and added that the State Government would not tolerate negligence on the part of any officials.

State records 185 cases

According to the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the State had recorded a total of 185 dengue cases till yesterday. A total of 948 blood samples were examined in the past 24 hours, during which an infant within the age group of one year was found positive along with 81 cases within the age group 1-18 years and the remaining 103 cases from people above 18 years.

Currently, a total of 346 patients are being treated at various hospitals across the State.

This year, a total of 7,547 dengue cases have been reported out of which seven people have succumbed.

In Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, 95 new dengue cases were reported which has taken the total tally of infected people to 2,174.