Dengue-Free Campaign: The risk of dengue increases during the rainy season, AIIMS doctor Santosh said- adopt this model

Dengue-Free Campaign

Rishikesh, July 4, 2025 – With the aim of making the city dengue-free, AIIMS Rishikesh, in collaboration with Municipal Corporation and Lions Club Royal, launched the much-anticipated ‘Seven Plus Plus’ Campaign. This campaign has been successfully run by AIIMS for the past six years. During this public awareness program, expert doctors provided detailed information on various preventive measures and symptoms of dengue.

Since the risk of dengue—an infectious disease—rises during the monsoon season, a special program was organized yesterday at the ISBT campus to raise awareness and prevent its spread. Under the banner of Lions Club Rishikesh, Mayor Shambhu Paswan assured full support from the Municipal Corporation to make the city dengue-free. Pankaj Chandani, President of Lions Club Royal, also pledged complete participation in making the campaign a success.

‘Seven Plus One Model’ – A Strategy to Control Dengue

Dr. Santosh Kumar, Additional Professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine (CFM) at AIIMS Rishikesh and the campaign’s nodal officer, elaborated on the specially designed ‘Seven Plus One Model’ to control dengue. He explained that this model is divided into three major components: awareness, identification, and monitoring.

Dengue-Free Campaign:

Dengue spreads through the bite of the Aedes mosquito, and its full life cycle—from egg to adult mosquito—takes about seven days. This model is focused on breaking that life cycle within those seven days.

Dr. Kumar explained that the campaign begins by identifying areas with high dengue impact in previous years. In the next phase, a multi-purpose team is formed, including ASHA workers, volunteer organizations, health department members, and municipal teams. This team works in the identified areas to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. He added that this cleanliness campaign is repeated every Sunday.

On this occasion, Mayor Shambhu Paswan appreciated the efforts of AIIMS Rishikesh and assured full cooperation from the municipal corporation. He also promised regular cleanliness drives, fogging, and awareness campaigns in and around the city.

Also Read: AIIMS Advice: Must-Do Steps to Tackle Dengue Effectively

Doctors and Experts Present at the Event

Along with Dr. Santosh Kumar from the CFM Department, the event was attended by:

• Dr. Ashish Jain (Additional Professor, Transfusion Medicine)

• Dr. Nidhi Kele (Additional Professor, Emergency Medicine)

• Dr. Kanchan, Dr. Anubhuti, Dr. Aniket, and the team from the Health Department.

Dengue Prevention Tips and Symptoms

How to Prevent Dengue (as advised by Dr. Santosh Kumar):

• Do not allow water to collect around homes.

• Maintain cleanliness in and around the house.

• Regularly change the water in flower pots and coolers.

• Destroy and inspect mosquito breeding sites such as:

  • Tyres placed on rooftops

  • Bottles, broken utensils, plastic containers

  • Water-filled pits

  • Construction sites with stagnant water

Common Symptoms of Dengue:

• Sudden high fever

• Headache

• Pain in arms, legs, and abdomen

• Bleeding from nose or gums

• Muscle stiffness

• Joint pain

• Red rashes on the skin