Dengue cases on rise, but officials stay mum

VIJAYAWADA: Dengue fever cases have increased in the capital region, though officials are mum on it. Even after dengue deaths were reported in Guntur, private and corporate hospitals, and city diagnostic centres have been directed orally not to divulge any information regarding the cases. The Health Ministry’s directions to the hospitals are sending wrong signals, according to several medical practitioners.

Despite several complaints that the civic body has failed to attend to the health needs of the denizens of Vijayawada city, VMC officials said they had been doing the job of eradicating mosquitoes by initiating anti-larva programme and fogging in the evenings. Viral fevers and dengue fever gripped the city due to poor sanitation in several areas, other than Eluru ‘Road, Bandar Road and BRTS Road, and especially in the satellite colonies abutting Eluru Road.

While one death was registered as hemorrhagic dengue in Tiruvuru of Krishna district, two deaths were reported with same symptoms. However, director (medical education) Dr N. Subba Rao said they had not received any information about the presence of dengue fever in the capital region. “All fevers can’t be dengue. If some 10 positive cases were identified in preliminary tests, only one of them might turn out as positive in the final tests,” he said.

However, he agreed that people were coming with mild fevers to the teaching hospitals. Vijayawada government general hospital superintendent Dr M. Jaganmohan Rao said three cases had been registered under dengue suspicion category. However, he said there was no rise in the cases in the recent past.