An 11-year-old boy died at the Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai on Thursday night because of dengue. Santhosh, the deceased, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after suffering from fever, vomiting and loose tools for over five days.
With this, the death toll due to dengue has gone up to 28 in the state in the last one year. And even as the Chennai corporation is on a cleanliness drive to stop mosquito breeding, the government hospitals in the city are overflowing with a number of fever cases.
Speaking to TNM, Rajkumar, Resident Medical Officer, Kilpauk Medical College, said, “There are 19 dengue cases in the hospital and in total 195 fever cases. We used to earlier have 30 to 40 fever cases daily, but now it has gone up to 200 cases on a daily basis. But we have got extra cots and mattresses which are being provided to the patients. We have in total 1100 beds and we bought more beds for more fever cases,” he said.
The situation is similar in other government hospitals in Chennai. “We have a total of 174 fever cases in our hospital, of which 21 are dengue cases. We are able to manage the high number of patients coming because now we also have a super speciality ward, and we can accommodate them there,” said Poonamalam, Dean of Stanley Medical College and Hospital.
“We have about 2000 beds in our hospital. Everyday, we get about 300 outpatients in our hospital with fever. We admit around 100 patients with fever, and simultaneously, 100 patients are also getting discharged. So at any given point of time, we have 150 to 200 in-patients,” he added, saying that the hospital also has a fever out-patient clinic, and facilities for tests.
However, the situation is very different from what is being portrayed, according to The Times of India; ToI had reported that there are 438 fever cases which includes 19 children who have been tested positive for dengue, according to the hospital register. It also said that the hospital was overcrowded on Thursday, and that if any patient felt better, the hospital asked parents to take them out so that the bed could be used by another patient.
The Institute of Children’s Hospital Dean meanwhile told TNM that there are 261 children who have been admitted there due to fever, of which 24 cases have tested positive for dengue. “There are in total 837 beds. We are crowded, but we are able to manage it. We also have a separate fever ward,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chennai corporation has been on a mission to stop the breeding of mosquitoes in different parts of the city. According to a report, about 175 tonnes of scrap from old vehicles were removed from Pudupet by Chennai corporation workers.
The Better India reported that corporation formed 200 teams which includes 2825 malaria labourers and 14,902 conservancy workers. The corporation also has 331 fogging machines and 32 vehicle-mounted machines which are being deployed.
Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan had said that 11000 dengue positive cases have been detected this year and that 20,000 notices have been issued to residents and organisations under the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act. Moreover, a team of five doctors from Central Government also arrived in Tamil Nadu on Friday to inspect the spiked cases of dengue in the state. They will also be visiting the districts which have increased number of dengue.
On Monday, there were reports that seven people across Tamil Nadu had died due to dengue and an 11-month-old baby from Nammakal also died at Sri Gokulam Hospital in Salem after suffering from dengue.