| 48 deaths in a month, but BMC痴 not worried | ||
| Monsoon-related ailments claim 21 in 2 days. BMC zeroes in on problem areas |
MUMBAI担 in the grip of monsoon-related ailments: This month, the city痴 civic hospitals have registered 48 deaths due to illnesses like malaria, dengue, leptospirosis and gastroenteritis.
In the last 48 hours itself, from Wednesday morning to Friday morning, 21 people have died of such ailments. Of the eight people who died between Thursday morning and Friday morning, one died of suspected leptospirosis, two of suspected dengue, three of malaria, one of fever and one of gastroenteritis. In the same period, 21 patients were admitted with symptoms of leptospirosis, seven with dengue, 43 with malaria, 150 with fever, 43 with gastroenteritis and 32 with hepatitis.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation痴 (BMC) Epidemic Cell擁t functions under the Health Department, comprises deans of major hospitals and health officers and keeps a daily tab on the admissions揺as identified seven vulnerable spots from where most of the patients are emerging: Dharavi, Kurla, Chembur, Kandivali, Dahisar, Malad and Mankhurd.
荘There are cases of deaths due to epidemic diseases, but it is not an epidemic,鋳 Additional Municipal Commissioner (Health) Vijaysingh Patankar assured.
Private hospitals are required to inform the BMC about notified diseases like leptospirosis and dengue, but on Friday, they didn稚.
荘We are getting information from them on a weekly or fortnightly basis, but there are some delays,鋳 admitted Patankar. 荘We will consider taking action if they don稚 provide information.鋳
He added that the number of admissions for 爽nknown fever� were high because the BMC didn稚 want to take chances. 荘Any patient with fever is being admitted and tests are being conducted on them,鋳 Patankar said.
According to the BMC, the statistics are no cause for concern. 荘If you consider the population of the city and the deaths, it痴 not a startling figure. Take KEM for instance. Daily, it reports 17-18 deaths due to various diseases, the same is the case with Sion hospital. So, 13 is not startling,鋳 Patankar insisted.
48: The toll in July
*Leptospirosis 4
*Dengue 4
*Malaria 2
*Fever 15
*Gastro 5
*Hepatitis 8
URL- http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=193797