Dengue claims minor’s life at village near Maqsudan

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 29

In the recent onslaught of dengue cases in the district, two new deaths were reported in the city today.

The lives of two women, both of the Abhinandan Park locality in Nandanpur village near the Maqsoodan area of the city, have been claimed by dengue.

Forty-year-old Shobha had died on September 8 and due to the lack of awareness, her case hadn’t been highlighted by her family.

Her neighbour Lovepreet Kaur (15) was declared brought dead at the Sacred Heart hospital this morning.

While Lovepreet’s father Bachittar Singh said she had been ill for the past many days, Lovepreet’s health had improved earlier, but deteriorated again last night after which she was taken to a private hospital. Later, she was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital this morning where she was brought dead.

Notably, with these two patients included, this becomes the fifth death from dengue in the district. While two Jalandhar-based patients, reported at the PGI Chandigarh and DMC Ludhiana, had formerly died of the disease, a child had also formerly died of dengue in Jalandhar.

Meanwhile, the number of dengue patients who have tested positive in the district is also witnessing a dramatic rise. In less than a week, the number of positive patients in the district has climbed from 197 to 250.

With 31 of the 43 patients whose test reports came in today, the total number of positive patients in the district has reached 246.

As many as 200 establishments have also been challaned in the district during the dry day drives to inspect the breeding of dengue larvae in the district.

Maqsudan from where the deaths have been reported is one of the sensitive areas on the city dengue map – which has been on the health department based on previous years’ reportage of dengue as well. Apart from dengue, so far as many as 12 Chikungunya cases have also been reported in the district.

Reacting on the claims of the families of the two dead patients, district IDSP in charge Dr Surinder Kumar said, “Neither have the tests of the patients been conducted from any registered lab or private hospital nor do the families have any reports from any recognised medical establishment so that the deaths could be attributed to dengue.”

Speaking on the sudden and dramatic rise in reportage of dengue patients in the district, Dr Kumar said, “Measures are being taken to ensure that the disease is effectively countered. The MC and health teams shall also carry put challaning drives in this regard on Friday. Meanwhile, we are also ensuring dengue reportage from private hospitals.”