Apart from Delhi, the dengue scare is spreading in Punjab and Haryana, with two deaths and more than 1,400 cases altogether of the vector-borne disease being reported from the two states.
Advertisement
The only way to control this disease is to take preventive measures as there is no vaccination or known drugs to cure it. However, the disease can be treated with plenty of supportive care and treatment. In 2003, when a sharp rise in dengue cases was again reported, type 3, a mild strain, emerged as the most common type. Why isn’t the government doing enough to make them fall in line?
Private hospitals are making a mockery of the situation and functioning as per their whims.
“We have given fresh directions to all medical colleges and government hospitals to install dengue detection machines in every district or purchase new machines wherever required”. Most patients recover and on a minuscule number die from dengue. “There is resentment among drivers as we have taken away their rooms, but we don’t have space otherwise”, said Dr Amita Saxena, Medical Superintendent of Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.
A 41-year-old woman died of dengue in the national capital Monday morning, taking the total number of dengue deaths in the city hospitals to at least 14.
The private ambulance owners had planned the strike in protest against taxes imposed by the state government. Patients are lined up, beds are full….
All dengue patients are put under mosquito nets to avoid spread of the infection, he said adding that the supportive treatment in the form of anti-pyretic and intravenous fluids is being given free of cost to dengue patients in all Government hospitals.
The city government has also ordered laboratories to cap the cost of dengue fever tests at 600 rupees ($10) to prevent them from charging exorbitant fees.
Authorities have ordered surprise inspections at private hospitals to ensure they comply with last month’s order not to turn away dengue patients. Why there is no uniformity in these rates?
Advertisement
“The current strength of doctors, paramedics and lab technicians is proving inadequate to deal with the increasing number of patients visiting the emergency wards”, said a senior doctor from Lok Nayak hospital. “Our boy had a fever and we took him to Safdarjung Hospital but we were told by the hospital that the boy was healthy and that there was no problem”, the boy’s father Manoj Sharma told Times Now news channel.
