Patiala district worst-hit as dengue spreads tentacles

Patiala has emerged as the state’s worst-hit district with 419 dengue cases.

According to sources, Punjab has so far recorded 1,800 cases. However, the health authorities did not share data of all districts.

Dr Arshdeep Kaur, state nodal officer for dengue prevention, said, “I will have to seek the permission of the health minister, only then I can share the data.”

Meanwhile, the authorities released figures for 12 districts, confirming 1,554 cases of dengue till date.

Nabha and Bhadson in Patiala were the worst-hit, where 146 and 77 cases of dengue have been reported, respectively.

District Epidemiologist Dr Sumeet Singh said over 100 dengue cases in Nabha were identified through an active case-finding campaign involving house-to-house surveys and health camps, going beyond the standard sentinel surveillance model under which the focus is usually on key areas. “Patiala has ELISA testing facilities at four sentinel surveillance hospital (SSH) labs and 71 Aam Aadmi Clinics. Samples from private hospitals are also being tested. Health teams have carried out source reduction in over 9.65 lakh premises and destroyed larvae at 9,541 sites — 1.5 times more than last year's figure,” Dr Sumeet claimed.

Patiala Civil Surgeon Jagpalinder Singh said adequate medical facilities and beds were available for patients. “The number of cases has now stabilised in Nabha and other affected areas,” he said, urging residents not to believe rumours about bed shortages.

Meanwhile, Amritsar reported only 33 dengue cases, a figure that has raised eyebrows. A source said while several patients tested positive in rapid diagnostic tests, the ELISA confirmation protocol was not being followed. Attempts to contact District Epidemiologist Harjot Kaur for clarification proved futile.

Mansa resident complains about unreported cases

The Health Department has intensified surveillance and testing in Mansa after a resident complained to state and central authorities about unreported cases. Civil Surgeon Harinder Sharma confirmed that 12 of 26 samples tested positive for chikungunya on Wedensday and maintained that he had ordered for aggressive testing.

Ropar district till now has reported 40 cases, according to officials.