Dengue cases rise, but officials in denial
Almost every day city-based hospitals are reporting an increasing number of dengue cases to the Department of Health and Family Welfare. But ask the department officials, they say the numbers are actually falling over the last few weeks.
“On a daily basis, we have been getting about 20-25 cases of dengue-like fever cases. Of which, two to three cases are being confirmed after the blood tests. We are reporting only confirmed cases to the Health Department,” said Dr Shankar Prasad, Medical Superintendent. Other vector-borne diseases, like gastroenteritis, too are increasing over the last couple of days, he said.
Dr H. Paramesh, President, Private Hospital and Nursing Home Association, and Medical Superintendent, Lakeside Hospital, said, “Though the government is on a continued denial mode on the increasing number of dengue cases, around 10% of fever cases we are getting on a daily basis at private hospitals are dengue.”
He said, “Heaps of garbage on city roads and empty spaces have formed the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Unattended garbage is the biggest cause for the spread of diseases. We are reporting dengue cases to the Health Department and the BBMP every day. But only three certified laboratories can confirm the cases.”
Even government-run hospitals Jayanagar Genenral Hospital and Vani Vilas Hospital are seeing an increase of almost 15-20 per cent in the dengue-like cases over he last one month. “We are reporting all the dengue and suspected dengue cases to the Health Department on a daily basis,” said Dr Kishore K., Resident Medical Officer, Jayanagar General Hospital.
Dr Dhanyakumar, Director, Department of Health and Family Welfare, said the number of positive dengue cases has come down over the past few weeks in the state. “Though this is the peak season, apparently the number has come down. Starting from January 2102 till Friday (October 26, 2012), we have reported 11,605 suspected cases and 3,081 positive cases with 21 deaths.”
Dr Devaki Umesh, Chief Health Officer, BBMP, told Deccan Chronicle: “For the past 20-25 days, we have been using bleaching power dissolved in water and spraying it over uncollected garbage. Also, high-concentrate phenyl is being poured near public toilets. We have informed all city-based hospitals to inform us if they get an increased number of vector-borne and water-borne diseases.”
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