Chikungunya is taking its toll in Delhi, with at least four deaths due to the vector-borne disease reported in the last two days in the national capital where its number of cases have crossed over 1,000 this season.
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Prove it medically. Medically chikungunya can never be cause of anyone’s death, ” he said. The five deaths occurred at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. In its press statement the authorities at Apollo mentioned that there have been five deaths in the past three weeks of patients with chikungunya, most of whom were elderly and had complications like kidney disease, coronary artery disease which affects the course of recovery. A 22-year-old girl died of cardiac arrest triggered by chikungunya complications at Hindu Rao Hospital. “More than negligence, it is a matter of playing with the lives of people”, Dikshit said. “He too was admitted in ICU on September 11 and his RT-PCR test came positive”, a senior official of the hospital said.
Last week, over 400 patients tested positive for chikungunya at AIIMS, taking the cases being treated by the hospital alone to almost 900.
At the meeting Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that private hospitals must not use this opportunity to exploit patients and urged people not to panic.
PTI reported that the victims were 80-years-old and above. “We will probe as to why in one hospital there have been chikungunya deaths”, he said.
He said there was a need to carry out fogging in the whole of Delhi.
“The government has established dedicated Fever Clinics in its 26 hospitals (functional 24 hours), 262 Delhi government dispensaries (functional from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m.) and 106 Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics (functional from 8 a.m.to 2 p.m.) to cater to fever patients”, said an official statement. “We have received no complaints so far against either the doctors’ not following protocols or shortage of any facility”, he added.
Subhash Arya, leader of house, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, said several attempts to meet the Delhi government ministers to discuss the health condition in Delhi failed due to their absence from the city.
The RT-PCR test is being used by a very few hospitals now in the national capital.
According to reports, the “chikungunya death” at the AIIMS took place sometime in September. “If you say that you have no role as the Chief Minister of Delhi, how come the Chief Minister and other ministers’ offices spent Rs. one crore on samosas and Rs. 526 crore on ads”, asked BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. We will be working together.
The Centre has already asked all states to declare dengue as notifiable disease to improving reporting and to take preventive measures in the affected areas.
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“There is no need to panic”, AAP leader Dilip Pandey told the media.
