As West Bengal revels in the peak of the festive season, a silent health crisis is rapidly unfolding with a sharp and alarming surge in dengue cases across the state. In just the first 23 days of October, over 5,500 people have tested positive for dengue, sending alarm bells ringing through the state health directorate. Official records indicate that while September recorded 3,172 infections, the transmission rate has skyrocketed within a matter of weeks, pointing towards a dangerous upward trajectory. According to recent health department data, 299 dengue patients are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals across the districts. With this latest spike, the cumulative dengue tally in the state has crossed the 12,500 mark this year. Based on active caseloads, Murshidabad, Howrah, Kolkata, and North 24 Parganas have emerged as the top four worst-affected districts in West Bengal.

The resurgence of dengue has been particularly stark in Howrah, where infections are mounting at an alarming pace. Recent updates reveal 47 active dengue cases within the Howrah Municipal Corporation limits alone. Furthermore, between October 14 and October 20, as many as 27 fresh cases were reported from Domjur within a single week. To put things into perspective, while the entire Howrah district recorded 647 cases last year, this year’s count has already touched 623. Urban Howrah alone accounts for 350 of these infections. Despite public anxiety over the spreading outbreak, the state health minister maintained on Friday that overall dengue metrics remain under control compared to the previous year.

Authorities have identified unhygienic conditions and accumulated garbage around healthcare facilities as major breeding grounds contributing to the vector-borne spread. Acknowledging the immediate threat, the state health secretary has written a formal letter to the Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Department, mandating rigorous and regular cleaning drives in and around hospital premises. The directive explicitly underlines that maintaining pristine hygiene standards in medical facilities falls under the direct purview of urban development bodies to prevent mosquito breeding.

In direct response to the escalating crisis, the health minister convened a high-level review meeting with senior officials from government hospitals across the state on Friday. The urgent administrative intervention follows severe criticism from local lawmakers. Earlier, BJP MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato expressed intense outrage over mountains of garbage piling up near the Deben Mahato Hospital in Purulia. Reports surfaced that the parliamentarian directly telephoned Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee from the hospital premises to register his strong protest. Prompted by the high-profile grievance, the health administration has ramped up monitoring protocols to curb the outbreak before it spirals further.