Uttarakhand: Dengue wreaks havoc, number of patients reaches close to 250 in Haridwar

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], September 16 (ANI): Following incessant rainfall that led to floods and landslides, the number of dengue patients that previously stood at 103, has now reached close to 250 in Haridwar, said an official.
"Dengue has spread massively in Haridwar, the number of dengue patients in the district has reached close to 250. More than two and a half dozen patients are fighting for life and death in hospitals," said District Magistrate (DM) Haridwar, Dhiraj Singh Garbyal.
The district administration has also geared up but people are still not able to get relief. The health department is troubled by the long queue of patients from government to private hospitals, added the DM.
The DM further said that many private hospitals in the district have been extorting huge amounts of money by giving expensive treatment to people by treating common fever as dengue and that strict action has been ordered against them.
Dengue has been wreaking havoc not only in urban but in rural areas as well. The number of dengue patients has reached nearly 250, he stated.
The District Magistrate further appealed to the people to keep the surroundings clean. The municipal employees have also been instructed to issue challans to the houses where dengue larvae are found.
Two weeks ago, the number of dengue patients in Haridwar stood at 103.
Panic gripped the district due to the sudden sting of dengue. There were long queues of patients in government and private hospitals, with the worst conditions at Kankhal, Ruhalki and Roorkee.
Isolation wards have been made in government hospitals. Haridwar CMO Dr Manish Dutt said, “The dengue figure in the district has reached 103 and the number of ELISA-positive cases is continuously increasing."
He further said, “Till the temperature does not fall in September and October, the peak of dengue will continue. In such a situation, people need to be aware.”
For the prevention of dengue, the health department is constantly sending teams to the affected areas, and people are being tested for ELISA, while people coming from outside are also being checked.
The claims of fogging in the area by the Municipal Corporation had been reported as failing due to which dengue is continuously spreading.
Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. (ANI)