Despite claims by municipal corporations that only five deaths have taken place in the national Capital due to dengue this season, as per data collected by The Pioneer from individual hospitals, at least 12 people have succumbed to the deadly disease till now.
Nearly 613 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi in the last one week, taking the total number of cases to 1,872 till September.
Given the seriousness of the situation, the Delhi Government on Monday cancelled the leave of doctors and paramedical staff in its hospitals. According to doctors, it’s an outbreak-like situation. In the past decade, dengue outbreaks were reported in 2006 and 2010.
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, two of the most virulent strains of dengue, type II and type IV, are spreading in Delhi this year.
“Our report is based on preliminary data from the first lot of nine acute-phase serum samples (collected within ten days of the onset of the disease) of suspected cases,” said an official from the Microbiology Department.
Alarmingly, the Capital’s premier hospital, AIIMS has reported three dengue deaths this season. Apart from an AIIMS technician, the son of an AIIMS staffer also died last week. On August 5, a 10-year-old Manipuri girl living in South Delhi died at AIIMS after a week of high fever. More than 45 AIIMS employees are suffering from dengue and are admitted here, said a senior doctor.
As per municipal norms, only ElISA test confirmed cases are taken in the official death count.
According to VK Sinha, spokesperson at Ram Manohar lohia Hospital (RMl), a total of 742 patients suspected to be suffering from dengue are in the hospital at present. “Over 489 people are confirmed dengue patients. Two of them died due to the disease.” said Sinha.
"A person died last Thursday in the hospital. Another death due to dengue was reported in July as well," said Sinha.
The situation is the same at RMl, Safdarjung Hospital, lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and Bara Hindu Rao hospital as well.
Two dengue deaths were reported at lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital. "The first death was reported on September 9 when a patient died due to Dengue Shock Syndrome. The second patient died on September 12," said Amita Saxena, Medical Superintendent.
"As many as 70 suspected dengue patients are admitted to the hospital right now, out of which, nine patients have been confirmed to be dengue positive," said Saxena.
Again at Safdarjung Hospital, two patients died of dengue this season. "The hospital has admitted over 250 patients suspected to be suffering from dengue till date. One person died last Saturday after he was referred from a Gurgaon hospital in a very critical state," said a senior doctor. The other death was reported at the start of the season, he added.
The city's lok Nayak Hospital, which is known for its blood bank facility, has also witnessed two dengue deaths this season. Medical Superintendent YK Sarin told The Pioneer, "While two deaths have happened due to dengue, at least 125 patients have been confirmed to have dengue out of 1,488 patients admitted in the hospital this season." On Monday, the hospital witnessed 65 new admissions with dengue-like symptoms, said Sarin.
Sources in the lok Nayak Hospital said that the hospital's blood bank is facing acute shortage, and is unable to provide blood to other hospitals.
In the North corporation-run Bara Hindu Rao Hospital at least 585 patients suspected to be suffering from dengue are admitted right now. The hospital has reported two deaths due to the vector-borne disease. According to DK Seth, Director of Hospital Administration, a six-month-old infant died due to dengue on August 28 and the other death was reported on September 9, when an 18-year-old succumbed to the disease.
"From July 27 till date, we have admitted over 1,322 patients, of whom 257 patients tested positive for dengue," said Seth.
With a capacity of 980 beds, we are not left with any other option but doubling and tripling of beds, added Seth.
The Ambedkar Hospital has around 547 patients who have been admitted with dengue-like symptoms as per the data given by Medical Superintendent Punita Mahajan. "Around 50 per cent of the patients admitted are suspected to be dengue positive. We are waiting for the ElISA test confirmation," said Mahajan. However, no dengue related death has been reported here.
The State-run Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital has about 60 patients suspected with dengue. Medical superintendent Savita Babbar said: "We have operated 163 dengue positive patients till September and about 500 patients visit the emergency with dengue like symptoms. We have a very critical dengue patient on ventilator who may not be able to survive," said Babbar.
looking at the rampant increase in the dengue cases this time, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Monday directed top health and administrative officials of Delhi to ensure effective preventive measures to counter the spread of dengue and make residents of the national Capital aware that there is no cause for panic.
In a high-level meeting with District Magistrates, Chief District Medical Officers and Regional Health Directors in presence of the Health Secretary, Director Health Services and the Divisional Commissioner, Jain said: "The utmost priority is to make people aware of the adverse effects of self-medication."
"All the necessary test kits, medicines for dengue treatment are available in abundance in Government hospitals and nothing will come in the way of treatment of patients," said the Health Minister. All the hospitals have been directed to open special fever clinics to deal with patients of suspected dengue cases to ease the rush in emergency wards, Jain said.
Jain appealed to the people to get their tests conducted free of cost in Government hospitals, which are also giving the results quicker than private labs.