Dengue count reaches 25, malaria 38 in Jalandhar

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 21

With the dengue cases in Kapurthala reaching as high as 235, in Jalandhar, the number of such cases has reached 25.

While the dengue cases in the district have been relatively limited this year so far – compared to the dengue reportage in previous years – along with cases of malaria, chikungunya and jaundice are also being widely reported in the district.

So far, as many as 38 cases of malaria, three cases of chikungunya and 20 cases of jaundice have been reported in the district so far.

A spate of cases of jaundice are also being reported in Mohalla No.10 of Jalandhar Cantt, where residents report that there have been over 50 cases so far.

But health authorities maintain that they have found only 20 cases.

Speaking to The Tribune, Ram Kumar, a resident of Mohalla No.10 said, “My son Siddharth is down with dengue for the past many days. Every second house in the locality has some or the other person down with dengue. Over 30 patients a day have been reporting to the quack at Ram Mandir alone. And other vaids in the area are also raking in money by treating patients, because the poor can’t afford to go to the doctors.”

While health teams also visited the Cantonment area on Wednesday, the teams took five water samples and seven blood samples from the area.

During the drives held in the district to rein in dengue and carry out larvae testing, as many as 300 challans were also been issued to residents.

District epidemiologist Dr Preetkamal said, “We have carried out tests in various mohallas of Jalandhar Cantt. Sampling of patients has also been carried out and they shall be tested for dengue. The blood tests of the patients shall also be tested for hepatitis.”