E-Paper
Dengue, high-grade fever may dim Diwali sparkle in Panchkula
With almost every family in Panchkula knowing someone or the other – either in immediate family or in the neighbourhood – who is suffering from high grade fever or dengue, festivities may take a backseat this year.
With almost every family in Panchkula knowing someone or the other – either in immediate family or in the neighbourhood – who is suffering from high grade fever or dengue, festivities may take a backseat this year.
On an average, at least 100 persons with high-grade fever are being hospitalised daily in the district.
At the Arora household, Diwali seems to be lacking its usual sparkle as the head of the family has been down with dengue for the past 12 days. “Diwali ka tyohar mnaane laayak bacha kahan hai (How can we celebrate in this situation)?” asks Harpreet Arora, a resident of HimShikha enclave, Panchkula.
Naresh Jain, another resident, said that in his neighbourhood, four persons are lying sick.
Arora said: “We can keep our homes clean, but what about the surroundings? Who should we held responsible for the overgrown grass, garbage dumps on roads?”
SK Nayar, president, Citizens Welfare Association, who is also down with viral, says, “I have been sick for the last three days. The temperature has climbed past 100, and I am suffering from a burning sensation in my eyes, runny nose, chest congestion and fatigue. I am taking medication from a private practitioner, hoping that I get better before Diwali day.”
“This is the first time in many years that I won’t be visiting my friends or family to share Diwali greetings,” he adds.
The data shared by the Panchkula health department shows over 2,600 hospital admissions this month either because of high fever or dengue.
On Saturday alone, 98 persons were hospitalised because of high fever and 35 due to dengue.
The district has witnessed its highest ever dengue surge this year. The district has so far logged 1,395 dengue cases while the official death count is five. However, as per a PGIMER report, over 15 deaths examined by them from Panchkula could be attributed to dengue.
Health officials say they are not taking fever cases lightly and are admitting the patients. “We have increased testing, and house-to-house surveys are being carried out. We are trying our best to diagnose as many cases as possible, so that no one goes untreated,” said Dr Mankirat Kaur, spokesperson for the chief medical officer, Panchkula.
