Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: A total of 122 dengue cases were reported at Goa Medical College and Hospital during the pre-monsoon months over the last three years, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane informed the Assembly.
Replying to an unstarred question tabled by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Lourenco, the minister said the cases were recorded between January and May during 2023, 2024 and 2025. Data from GMC shows that 2024 recorded the highest number of cases, particularly in May.
According to the figures, four dengue cases were reported in January 2023, three in February, none in March, two in April and six in May. In 2024, the numbers rose with eight cases in January, nine in February, 13 in March, 10 in April and a sharp spike of 44 cases in May. In 2025, 10 cases were reported in January, four in February, five in March, two in April and two in May.
The minister also informed the House that Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour reported one dengue case in 2024, while no cases were recorded in 2023 and 2025.
Rane stated that the main causes of dengue in Goa include improper water storage practices, accumulation of water in flower pots, artificial containers, coconut shells, tyres and plastic waste, which create breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes. Other contributing factors include open overhead water tanks, storage barrels, influx of migrant labour and tourists from endemic regions, and poor waste management.
The health department has initiated several preventive measures for 2026, including surveillance, vector control and public awareness campaigns to prevent mosquito breeding and curb the spread of dengue in the state.
