BENGALURU, 19 JULY

Amid a spike in dengue cases in the State, the Health department on Friday appointed nodal officers in all government hospitals across the City for effective management of the vector-borne disease.

A toll-free helpline number -- 1800-425-8330 --- was set up for people to seek information or register complaints regarding dengue related issues, officials said.

These dedicated nodal officers will ensure better patient care, quicker response times and effective management of dengue cases.

"Under the Health and Family Welfare department, we have six hospitals across the City and one nodal officer has been appointed in each of them to address dengue-related issues. They can also lodge complaints in case of any dengue-related violation or request for a bed for patients suffering from the vector-borne disease," a senior health official said.

To ensure effective management of moderate and severe cases of dengue, the Health department had issued an order directing key government hospitals in the City to reserve a specific number of beds for dengue patients.

Earlier this week, dengue cases in the State crossed the 10,000 mark so far this year, taking the cumulative positive cases to 11,451 from 1 January 1 to 18 July. The vector-borne disease has claimed the lives of eight people in the State this year. -PTI