Central aid for dengue project

PUNE, Dec 1: A cheque for Rs 10 lakh was today handed over to Dr Banoo Coyaji, director, KEM hospital, by Ashwini Khopde, director, Public Family Welfare PFW Committee, Maharashtra. The Central Government aid was presented through PFW for the Dengue Research Project at the hospital.

Dr Rajesh Gadia, chief investigator, Dengue Project, said KEM and the Pune Municipal Corporation had come together on the dengue issue in Pune. The aid received would be utilised in creating public awareness and wider testing facilities. There had been six dengue deaths in the city of which two were patients from Ahmednagar, he said, adding that between June 15, 1998 and November 15, 1998, 375 samples of blood from suspected cases had been tested of which 63 per cent had tested positive. Bleeding had been noticed in 40 per cent of these cases, showing a change in the face of dengue to haemorrhagic fever. Fifty doctors from Pune had enrolled for the project, which has been testing blood samples from medical institutions, small nursing homes and private practitioners.

8220;The number of cases is coming down after the rain but dengue is now endemic to Pune and cases will be seen throughout the year with spurts during the monsoon season,8221; he said, speaking to the press.

The hot spots in the city had been identified at Hadapsar, Bibwewadi, Kothrud and Karvenagar. Cases had also been reported from Ahmednagar, Sangamner, Narayangaon and Uralikanchan. Stagnant water bodies were a common feature between all the hot spots, he said.

The funds received will be used to change over from a dengue project to a dengue surveillance centre for the disease and mosquitoes. 8220;Surveillance will be done with the help of local and state health authorities so that an early warning signal for the outbreak of dengue fever can be received,8221; said Dr Gadia.

The money will also be used to educate doctors and health professionals to the clinical features and management of the disease.