With cases of dengue and chikungunya on the rise in the national Capital, additional beds have been placed in private and Government hospitals to accommodate thousands of patients, said doctors.
Reports released by civic authorities last week showed unprecedented increase in cases of vector-borne diseases. Chikungunya cases in Delhi have shot up to 423 from just 20 cases reported till last week and 368 dengue cases were recorded in August alone taking the total to 487.
According to a test conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Microbiology Department's virology laboratory, an apex laboratory of the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme, 200 samples of blood were found positive for chikungunya out of 300 blood samples at AIIMS labs. The last chikungunya outbreak reported in Delhi was in 2006.
Doctors said the numbers could be higher as many cases go unreported. What is even more alarming is that with the heavy rain showers in the last few days, viral cases are expected to go up.
The Pioneer spoke to the doctors and patients at Government as well as private hospitals to get the ground report. At BlK hospital, 28 extra beds have been placed at various department as per the requirement, said Dr RK Singal, Director of Internal Medicine at BlK hospital.
"Additional trolleys have also been placed at the emergency to cater patients. There is so much fear among the patients that they are demanding for admission even as they suffer with little platelet count which can be easily curable at home," Dr Singal told The Pioneer.
Dr SP Byotra, Chairman of Internal Medicine at Sir Gangaram Hospital, said, "I have come across cases where entire families are suffering from viral infection with complaints of rashes, joint pain, and high fever."
Situation is same at Hindu Rao, RMl, Safdarjung, lok Nayak, Deen Dayal Upadhaya and GTB hospital respectively. At Safdarjung Hospital, Dr AK Rai, medical superintendent said, "So far, we have reported 287 dengue cases whereas chikungunya cases are 344. Hospital is using psychiatric ward and orthopedic wards for fever patients," said Dr Rai.
The patients rush is so much at lok Nayak Hospital that authorities have added 170 extra beds. "We are keeping all the fever patients under 24 hour observation and those who are tested positive dengue and chikungunya are admitted. Also patients with acute high grade fever are admitted," Dr JC Passey, medical Director at lok Nayak Hospital informed The Pioneer.
last week The Pioneer reported, 'upsurge' of viral fever is increasing at an alarming rate that microbiologists and doctors, have come across many patients who are suffering from loss of consciousness, unrelenting fever and vomiting, but they have tested negative for dengue and chikungunya.
Doctors are postulating a new form of virus infection with symptoms similar to those of chikungunya and dengue is spreading in the national Capital. Medical professionals suspected certain mutation could have occurred in the virus genome. They, however, are yet to figure out about the genesis of this new virus.