Dengue: Hospitals gear up to handle rise in cases after heavy rain

Hospitals in Gurugram are gearing up to handle an uptick in the number of dengue cases following heavy rainfall over the weekend, despite hitting a six-year high so far. The district reported four new cases on Tuesday, taking the tally to 184 for this year

Hospitals in the city are gearing up to handle an uptick in the number of dengue cases following heavy rainfall over the weekend, despite hitting a six-year high so far. The district reported four new cases on Tuesday, taking the tally to 184 for this year.

According to medical experts, waterlogging and drop in temperatures following rainfall are conducive for mosquito breeding and may lead to a rise in dengue cases. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

According to the health department data, 86, 66, 94, 22 and 51 cases of dengue were recorded in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.

With 101 dengue cases reported over the past weeks, doctors said that the cases are likely to rise till Diwali (November 4).

Dr Manish Rathi, deputy medical superintendent, Civil Hospital, said, “We are still seeing around 400 patients (per day) walk in with complaints of fever at the internal medicine out-patient department. In another two to three days, with the impact of rain, more such cases are likely, but we have prepared to deal with the situation. We have a 30-bed dengue ward along with a functional neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) and our paediatrics ICU will also be functional by end of this month.”

He said that residents should look out for symptoms of bleeding and rashes, besides fever and cold, and seek professional help at the earliest.

According to the daily dengue and malaria bulletin issued by the district administration on Tuesday, a total of 12,738 notices have been issued in the district so far for larvae breeding. On Tuesday, larvae breeding was found in 186 houses across the district.

Doctors from the Civil Hospital in Sector 10 said that in the past week, at least 50 patients suffering from fever were admitted to the hospital.

“In the past week, at least 50 patients with fever and thrombocytopenia (a condition where one has low blood platelet count) have been admitted to the hospital, along with regular cases of fever in the OPD. Cases of dengue are usually reported until Diwali, but with rain continuing, more cases are likely to be reported this season. After Sunday’s rain, not much waterlogging was reported from roads but as water gets accumulated in households, there is still a chance for mosquito breeding,” a senior doctor with the internal medicine department of Civil Hospital said.

Experts said that patients should seek medical help immediately as platelet count can drop rapidly.

Dr Rajesh Kumar, a senior consultant with the internal medicine department of Paras Hospital, said, “Dengue cases multiplies during rainy season because the weather conditions and temperature become conducive for the growth of the mosquitoes. It has been seen that patients who get infected in the month of October or November get severe infection and the chances of ICU admissions also increase. The cross reaction that happens between the types of dengue make the condition of the patient serious, resulting in more severe drop in platelets and fluid presence in stomach and chest. If the patient doesn’t get timely medical intervention, it can cause death as well.”