Indore : Deadly dengue fever claimed its first victim on Sunday night when a 21-year-old youth succumbed to the disease at Greater Kailash Hospital. This is the first casualty this year.
The health department officials are on their toes as four more patients were tested positive on Monday. With this positive dengue patients reached 18.
The department has dashed off a letter to the district administration and the Indore Municipal Corporation, which is already in trouble due to garbage problem in the city, to help them controlling the disease. The deceased was a college student from Netaji Subhash Chandra Marg. He was admitted in the hospital with symptoms of dengue about a week ago and his conditions turned worse since then.
According to Integrated Diseases Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in-charge Dr GL Sodhi, more than 40 units of platelets were administered to the patient but in vain.
“The patient was suffering from hemorrhagic dengue fever. It is the first case of hemorrhagic fever and we have started launching a drive on war footings to control the disease,” he said.
Dr Sodhi further said that four patients had also tested positive but all of them were discharged.
“The four positive patients are 8-year-old boy and a 27-year-old youth of Juni Indore area, a 65-year-old male of Manishpuri and 10-year-boy of Banganga area,” he said. Sodhi further added that they have written letters to Collector Akash Tripathi and IMC officials to inform them about increasing dengue menace in the city.
“We have sent our teams for survey to the affected areas but we are getting suspected patients from every corner of the city after which we have requested other civic bodies to help them to fight the disease,” Dr Sodhi said.
Dr Sodhi said that controlling mosquito menace is important to prevent the disease and it is not only the responsibility of the Health Department but also of the residents. People must not allow water-logging in their area and should wear full sleeves shirt and clothes to avoid mosquitoes’ bites.
