“We do not want to take any chances as large number of patients are reporting at government-run hospitals with viral, dengue and Chikungunya and also scrub typhus like symptoms”. The Centre has asked all big hospitals to reserve 10% of beds for dengue and chikungunya patients. Delhi has so far witnessed 31 deaths (Please check 31 was just on Thursday in a copy yesterday) due to the vector-borne diseases.
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An acerbic exchange of tweets between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and journalist Shekhar Gupta illustrated the growing tension in India’s capital over chikungunya, a painful but previously non-fatal mosquito-borne disease that has claimed 12 lives in Delhi this month.
Two more deaths have been reported at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), where five other persons have died due to chikungunya complications in the last one week.
He added that this only added to the pressure on medical infrastructure in Delhi, particularly the government hospitals. “His medical report says he died of acute febrile illness with septic shock and multi-organ failure”, his son-in-law Santosh Mangal said.
Earlier in the day, Nadda met Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain to discuss the situation and assured all support to the city government, while asserting that no patient is being turned away without treatment and there is no shortage of doctors and drugs. “Nadda ji has agreed to it following which there will be additional 1,000 beds at Centre-run hospitals”, Jain told reporters here after meeting Nadda.
The Delhi Health Minister had earlier said that there was no need to panic, adding the AAP Government is ready to provide help at all cost.
“JD Madan, a resident of Kalkaji, was admitted on August 12 night with complaints of fever and chills along with swelling and rashes on body”.
Mr Jain said, “Yesterday the AIIMS released its data, which revealed that 80 percent being treated at the AIIMS from chikungunya and dengue after September 1 are out station patients”.
Two boys died due to dengue in Anantapuramu in Andhra Pradesh on Friday, prompting authorities to take corrective steps to improve sanitation standards in the city.
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Meanwhile, AIIMS laboratories have tested 1,443 chikungunya blood test samples positive till September 13. “Also, we have dedicated 110 beds especially for chikungunya and dengue patients”, a hospital spokesperson. “Till now, chikungunya was not notifiable because of fewer cases”, the official said.
