Nadda also had a conversation with Delhi’s health minister Satyendar Kumar Jain over the issue of chikungunya and dengue.
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Nadda said the Centre held a review meeting in this regard and found out that there is an increase in the cases of Chikungunya in Delhi whereas hike in cases of Dengue have been reported in West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka. He added that the death due to Chikungunya would be probed.
Five deaths from chikungunya were reported till Tuesday in the city that is battling a viral onslaught of this disease after almost 10 years.
The hospitals in Delhi witnessed at least four more deaths due to complications arising from chikungunya, taking the total number of deaths to five.
“We used IgM serology on patients earlier but then afterfinding discrepancy between clinical diagnosis and laboratorytests, we started performing molecular test (RT-PCR) to detectthe chikungunya virus from the blood of clinically suspectedpatients from September 1 onwards”, the doctor said.”And from Sep 1-13, out of 565 samples of suspected viralfever, 319 came positive for chikungunya virus which is about56 per cent positivity. All people need to do is to take precautions and go to the hospital”, Jain said. However, in the process Delhi without statehood, is now without an effective government despite housing two.
Hitting out at the media yet again, Jain said it was showing only one side of the story and was not interested in bringing out the hard work being put in by doctors and staffers of the government hospitals.
“There has never been any death due to chikungunya in the world”.
He also took stock of the situation and got feedback from medical superintendents of major hospitals in Delhi as also about the steps taken by Health Department to tide over the current situation. “And upon enquiry, I have discovered that most of the deaths are of people who were aged and already sick with other ailments”, Jain added.
“A meeting has been called tomorrow morning which I’ll be reviewing myself”, JP Nadda, India’s health minister, said.
Meanwhile, some people in West Bengal have tested positive for malaria as well.
Mr Nadda was briefed on the recent upsurge in the cases of dengue and chikungunya in Delhi, NCR and other States. In 2015, over 15,000 dengue cases were reported, with 60 people dying.
According to NVBDCP, around 14,656 cases of chinkungunya have been reported across the country till September 11.
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“While doctors are trying their best to remain on duty till the effect of vector-borne diseases recedes the city, the shortage in staff and the new directions from the government would add to the existing burden”, said a doctor on condition of anonymity. Karnataka recorded 8,941 cases, followed by Maharashtra (839) and Andhra Pradesh (492).
