Three dengue deaths in city but civic body yet to take note

At KEM hospital,the condition of 22-year-old youth from Ghorpade Peth has been critical for a week. Dr V L Yemul,medical director of KEM hospital said there has been an increase in the number of patients with dengue.

Dr Rajesh Gadia,consulting physician at KEM,said there have been two deaths — one from Alandi and the other from Ghorpade Peth — earlier this month. At present,12 patients are admitted to the hospital. Of these,six are from the city. Nearly 70 per cent of the patients need not be admitted to the hospital unless they have severe abdominal pain,vomiting and bleeding,he said.

Medical director of Ruby Hall Clinic,Dr Sujata Malik,too,confirmed that two patients died due to dengue. These patients were from Satara and Jalgaon. The number of patients with dengue has increased from 11 in August to 22 in September,she said.

Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital authorities said a 34-year-old woman from Karvenagar,who was admitted to the ICU,died of dengue in the first week of October. This death,too,was notified to the civic authorities.

Poona hospital authorities said that they had two deaths due to dengue,with the latest victim being a person from Sinhagad Road. At present,25 persons have been admitted with the disease.

The civic body,however,seems reluctant to admit deaths due to dengue. Dr S T Pardeshi,acting chief medical officer of PMC ,said as per guidelines,hospitals are required to send samples to National Institute of Virology for confirmation of dengue virus. “Several laboratories conduct antigen and antibody tests for dengue. However,these cases are only considered suspected dengue,” Pardeshi said.

PMC has now written to the state to also take into consideration cases tested positive at private laboratories. Joint director of health Dr V M Khanande said a death audit committee has been set up,which reviews suspected dengue deaths. The committee visits the families and collects reports,following which a dengue death is declared.