Govt claims 49 cases last month, pvt hospitals say No. higher

CHENNAI: On Tuesday, Chennai corporation commissioner Vikram Kapur claimed that the city had registered only 49 cases of dengue last month. However, when TOI made inquiries with three private hospitals, we found that at least 150 cases were reported in these hospitals. One of them also treated 100 patients this month alone.
A physician at Kanchi Kamakoti Child Trust Hospital said the hospital sees a minimum of three children with clinical dengue every day.“ We see many children coming in with symptoms such as high fever, vomiting and joint pains. While we also get a lot of cases from neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, the number of dengue cases have certainly been surging over the past couple of months,” he said.
Dengue is the world’s fastest spreading tropical disease and there is no dedicated treatment for the virus, and those diagnosed with it are generally asked to rest, drink plenty of fluids and take medication to bring down the fever and reduce joint pains. “For dengue to occur, you need concentrated areas of people. It’s a city-based disease and a tricky one to eradicate because the dengue mosquito bites during the day, unlike the malarial mosquito,” said the doctor.
Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, an infectious disease specialist at Global Hospitals, said currently the hospital has at least 20 patients undergoing treatment for dengue. “This rise in numbers is common after a spell of showers. We mostly get referral cases, so the numbers must be much higher in government hospitals,” he said.
Health experts said while much attention was being given to eradicate malaria, which has a higher mortality rate, the fight against dengue lacked a long-term plan and focused on controlling outbreaks instead. Dr J K Reddy, paediatrician with Apollo Hospitals, said they see at least one or two dengue cases every day and while most of them recover with symptomatic treatment, children below five years should be monitored continuously.
When contacted, a senior health official said, “We are taking all necessary measures to check the number of cases and we are also making people aware about the steps they need to take. There is no need to panic.”