West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. (File) West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. (File)

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that some people were trying to create panic regarding dengue outbreak in the state and asserted that her government was taking adequate measures to combat the situation. Banerjee said that so far 40 people have died in the state due to vector-borne diseases.

“There is no need to panic. Some people are trying to create a panic with a vested interest. Some corporate houses, which had opposed our decision to set up a health commission, are passing wrong information. We will take strong action against them. We are monitoring the situation 24 hours. The government is taking all measures to control the situation and provide relief to the people. Some doctors are also working 24 hours. We have also alerted all municipalities to launch special drive to kill mosquitoes,” Banerjee said after holding a meeting with state health department officials at state secretariat.

The Chief Minister said that so far 13 dengue deaths have been verified by the state government and examining other potential dengue deaths reports. “So far 13 people have been died due to dengue in government hospitals. These deaths have been verified as dengue deaths. We have also received a report of 27 deaths which were caused by malaria, dengue or swine flu. These deaths occurred in private hospitals and we are yet to verify the reports. We cannot as these 27 deaths as dengue death without checking blood samples,” she said.

The Chief Minister informed that deaths caused by vector-borne diseases in West Bengal were less compared to other states. “In Gujarat, 435 people have died due to vector-borne diseases. In Maharashtra, the number is 695. In Rajasthan the number is 230. In Uttar Pradesh, it is 165 and in Madhya Pradesh it is 141. Even in smaller state like Kerala it is 111 and in Tamil Nadu it is 12. In Assam, the number is 87 and the same in Orissa is 83. These reports were uploaded 15 days ago. I do not have the latest data. We have received 21,000 complaints and are confirming that we have received 13 dengue death reports from state hospitals and 27 such reports from private hospitals. We are yet to verify the 27 reports,” Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister said that she will not hesitate to dissolve municipalities which will be seen not taking measures to combat the dengue outbreak despite receiving funds from the state health department. “Taking care of the people is my priority. I will not compromise on that. The Opposition is trying to take political mileage out of it. We have to be human first,” she added.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.