Image Courtesy:indiatvnews.com
Despite assurances that Firozabad district hospital is equipped with required amenities, cases of dengue and child deaths continue to worsen. Earlier, sources from the district hospital said that assistance from the Lucknow team will have alleviated the stress on doctors, nurses and hospital staff. However, the last two-three days have already reported more than 16 deaths due to what was earlier termed ‘the mystery fever’. Most of the dead are reportedly children.
The only progress in this regard was the press briefing by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on September 9 where experts identified the outbreak as a variant of dengue named ‘D2’. ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said that most of the deaths in Firozabad, Agra and Mathura were due to the type 2 strain of the dengue virus.
There are currently no vaccines or specific protocol for treatment of dengue patients. Doctors and staff have to rely on the management of symptoms associated with the disease. However, on-ground reports on September 14, showed patients facing a Covid-like crisis.
People were unable to enter hospitals due to full occupancy of beds. Videos of parents frantically visiting hospitals to avail treatment for their children are being circulated on social media.
Source: Dainik Jagran
On September 9, the first floor of the hospital was turned into a 15-bed Encephalitis ward. Four children were kept on one bed increasing the risk of infection transmission.
Amidst all this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Aligarh on Tuesday to lay the foundation stone of a university named after freedom fighter and “Jat King” Mahendra Pratap Singh. However, while praising the Chief Minister and his government, Modi did not mention the health crisis unfolding in parts of the state.
Related:
Dengue spreads in UP: Lucknow medical team arrives in Firozabad