E-Paper
Three of family die of dengue at Fatehgarh Sahib village
Three deaths spark panic among residents of Gurdhanpur village; district health department starts fogging and anti-dengue larvae spray drive
Three suspected dengue deaths were reported from the same family at Gurdhanpur village near Amloh in Fatehgarh Sahib district in the past six days.
Two more patients of the village are showing dengue-like symptoms. The three deaths have sparked panic among residents of the village, and the district health department has swung into action on Tuesday.
The deceased have been identified as Sarbjeet Kaur (42), Malkeet Kaur (65), and Raj Kaur (35). Sarbjeet died while undergoing treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh on Monday; while Malkeet died at a private hospital in Khanna; and Raj at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala on Thursday.
“Sarbjeet was my aunt, Malkeet my grandmother and Raj my sister-in-law,” said Gurpal Singh, 32, a resident of the village, while accusing the district health department of lackadaisical attitude.
He said that the department took too long to take action against spread of dengue.
“Over six days have passed since the first death and nobody from the administration or the health department came to take stock of the situation,” he claimed.
“The department organised health camps here on Tuesday after my aunt succumbed to the disease. If the department had taken timely action after my grandmother died, my aunt and sister-in-law could have been alive,” he said.
“All three were suffering from fever when we admitted them at the hospitals and their medical records have confirmed that they died due to dengue,” he added.
While confirming the deaths, Fatehgarh Sahib civil surgeon Dr NK Aggarwal said, “Around 120 dengue positives cases have been reported in district and three suspected dengue death have come to fore.”
On allegations of negligence, he said, “Fogging and anti-dengue larvae spray have been done in the area. Besides, we are taking all necessary measures to stop spread of the disease.”
