The Hindu : National : Delhi: dengue death toll rises to 16

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Thursday, Oct 05, 2006
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Delhi: dengue death toll rises to 16

Staff Reporter

AIIMS postpones semester examinations; task force to monitor situation

— Photo: AFP

A patient receives treatment in a dengue-screening ward at the AIIMS in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: The dengue death toll in the capital has risen to 16 with the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) confirming two more casualties on Wednesday. Three patients, including one from Mathura, died in the AIIMS of suspected dengue on Tuesday.

The number of dengue cases reached 589 with 92 more persons admitted during the past 24 hours.

AIIMS spokesperson Shakti Gupta said: "Reshma (14) from Meerut and Rehmat Ali (18) from Hauz Rani, admitted with dengue haemorrhagic fever, died on Wednesday. At present we have 72 patients admitted, of whom 19 are from the AIIMS campus and 53 outsiders. In the past 24 hours, 29 new cases were admitted, three of them from the AIIMS campus."

Screening for fever

Two patients were discharged in the last 24 hours. "As many as 750 patients with fever have been examined for dengue at our screening clinic," Dr. Gupta said. The hospital segregated `high-risk suspected dengue patients' from those under general observation.

An AIIMS official said that owing to the heavy patient turnout and dengue crisis, the first, third and ninth semester examinations in the Institute were postponed and fresh dates would be announced only after October 26.

Surprise check

During a surprise check in the Swami Dayanand Hospital in East Delhi, Mayor Farhad Suri noticed mosquitoes breeding in an overhead tank. The Bara Hindu Rao Hospital was penalised on Tuesday for the same lapse. The Mayor ordered strict penal action against guilty officials. He directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) staff to immediately cover an open drain in the Hindu Rao Hospital complex.

Challans to hospitals

During the past one week, the civic body has issued challans to 13 hospitals for having failed to prevent mosquito breeding on their premises.

S.K. Yadav, head, MCD Health Department, said 589 cases of dengue had been reported till 10 a.m. on Wednesday — 352 from Delhi and 237 from outside. He said it would take another fortnight before the disease was brought under control.

The MCD has constituted a task force for each of the 12 civic zones to monitor preventive measures. Twelve vehicles mounted with machines have been deployed for outdoor fogging and 370 hand-operated machines pressed into service for indoor fogging.

Saturdays and Sundays have been declared working days and no leave of absence will be granted to anti-malaria staff till November 30. Five fire tenders have been deployed for anti-larval operations in major drains. Seven power spray tankers are working in major water collections.

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