Dengue cases cross 600 mark

Delhi reported 32 new cases of dengue on Saturday, taking the total number of patients to 617. The actual cases may be more than double, as the figure of positive dengue cases given by private hospitals is much higher than what the civic bodies have been reporting.

Delhi reported 32 new cases of dengue on Saturday, taking the total number of patients to 617.

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The actual cases may be more than double, as the figure of positive dengue cases given by private hospitals is much higher than what the civic bodies have been reporting.

Municipal officials argued that most private hospitals don't perform the mandatory IgM Capture Elisa test.

"As per government of India rules, a case is considered positive only if the IgM serology reports are positive. Several hospitals are sending us reports based on the rapid kit and NS1 test. But we can't count them as dengue cases," said Dr NK Yadav, medical health officer of south corporation.

But private hospitals said they were reporting only confirmed cases to the municipal corporations.

"It is a notifiable disease and we have to report all confirmed cases to the civic bodies. We are reporting only those cases to MCD where the IgM reports are positive. People are coming with low platelet counts and in most cases have to be admitted."

"We have already reported about 40 dengue cases to the civic agency so far this year. This is the peak time and to get such high dengue numbers is not surprising. Our blood bank is well-equipped to deal with emergency cases at all times," said a senior doctor at the Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Hospital.

Delhi health minister AK Walia has asked for extra beds. He also reviewed the availability of platelets at 53 blood banks in Delhi.

He also asked the medical superintendents of all the hospitals to coordinate with blood banks to ensure patients are provided with platelets.