Teenager dies of dengue in Vadodara

A 13-year-old girl from Karelibaug area succumbed to dengue on Saturday. Sheena Solanki,the deceased,was the daughter of a Class IV employee with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). Solanki was suffering from abdominal pain,fever and vomiting since November 7,following which she was first admitted in a city private hospital last Tuesday and was declared positive with dengue. Later,on Friday,she was shifted to Sir Sayajirao General Hospital. But on Saturday morning,her condition deteriorated and she passed away at 1. 55 am. According to details with the VMC’s Filaria department,the civic body has registered over 183 suspected cases with 79 patients confirmed as positive for dengue. However,with the number of dengue cases increasing in the city,the VMC has not been able to complete its surveillance programme.

“We have already started surveillance and anti-larval activities in different pockets in the city. We are requesting the people to see that water does not accumulate in houses or in the neighbourhood. The water samples were collected on Friday but its analysis by SSG Hospital is still awaited,” said a senior official with the Filaria department.

The leader of Opposition in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation,Chirag Zaveri,said: “The entire southern part of the city is reeling under the epidemic like situation. Everyday,cases of swine flu,malaria and dengue are reported in a large number and the health department is yet to wake up to the situation.”

He added,“While every year VMC pays Rs 6 crore to the contractors for door-to-door garbage collection,due to connivance of contractors and VMC officials,the services are not carried out properly.”