Bokaro hospitals report dengue cases, district health department denies outbreak

Bokaro: Hospitals, both government and private in the district, are flooded with patients complaining of fever, cough, body ache, vomiting, nausea, and sore throat.

While many at Bokaro General Hospital (BGH), sadar hospital, and private hospitals and clinics are testing positive for dengue via NS-1 antigen tests, the district health department has denied an outbreak.

Civil surgeon Dr Abhay Bhusan Prasad said, "We had conducted random sampling of patients suffering from fever, cold, and cough over the past fortnight. Their samples were sent for MAC-ELISA test to Pataliputra Medical College and Hospital in Dhanbad and Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) in Ranchi. The results of the sample tests for MAC-ELISA were negative, while that for NS-1 Antigen, which does not give foolproof result, was positive. The monsoon season sees a spike in people reporting sick, mostly with cold and cough."

However, sources in Rims, Ranchi, said the reports of three samples sent to them for MAC-ELISA test came positive for dengue.

Sources said the Sadar Hospital is receiving over two dozen cases with symptoms of fever daily. About a dozen patients are admitted.

Wellmark Hospital chairman Dr Satish Kumar said, "Over two dozen patients arrive with complaints of feverand body ache daily. A few have to be admitted after their NS-1 Antigen test report for dengue comes positive."

The management of Muskaan Hospital said seven patients are admitted with dengue symptoms. About 60 people arrive at the OPD.

A medical practitioner with the Bokaro General Hospital said around 55 cases are admitted in the hospital. Meanwhile, BSL employee Dev Kumar, who was admitted to the hospital on September 6, died during treatment at Medica Hospital in Ranchi last Saturday. He was referred to Medica from here after his NS-1 Antigen test report came positive.

Civil surgeon Dr Prasad said, "We have formed a team of district health department officials and instructed the private hospitals, the pathological labs, and clinics to submit reports of the patients complaining of dengue like symptoms everyday."

Bokaro DC Kuldeep Chaudhary said he has instructed the district health department officials to keep track on the number of patients visiting private hospitals with symptoms of dengue and viral fever.