Chikungunya deaths: Health Ministry seeks report from Delhi

Union Health Minister J P Nadda, who held a meeting with officials concerned to review the dengue and chikungunya situation in the country including the national capital, also spoke to Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain and assured him of all support from the Centre.

"We have sought a detailed report from Delhi government (regarding chikungunya deaths) as to what has been the co-morbidity in these death cases and its details.

"There is no second opinion that death does not occur due to chikungunya and it does not become the cause of death. But still, we have sought a detailed report from the Delhi government. Whatever help and support is needed will be given," Nadda told reporters.

Chikungunya is taking its toll in Delhi and a few other cities across the country, with at least six deaths due to the vector-borne disease reported in the last two days in the national capital where the number of cases have crossed over 1,000.

"I spoke to Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain before the review meeting and asked him if he had some requirements. He said that all facilities are available with them and they are working as per the protocols.

"I have told him that if he has any requirement, he should tell us. He assured that there are adequate medicines, beds and testing facilities. I conveyed to him that whatever facilities is needed the Centre is ready to give. We will be working together. We want to address the issue by working in coordination," Nadda said.

According to National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), around 12,255 cases of chinkungunya have been reported across the country till August 31. Karnataka alone has recorded 8,941, Maharashtra 839 and Andhra Pradesh 492.

Nadda noted that there has been an "upsurge" of chikungunya cases in Delhi and a large number of fever cases have also been reported but asserted that there is no need to "panic" while stressing the need for taking symptomatic treatment.

An 80-year-old man from Ghaziabad has died of chikungunya complications at a private hospital in Delhi, as the toll from the vector-borne disease mounted to six in the national capital.

Mahendra Singh, the second person from Ghaziabad to have succumbed to chikungunya complications, died yesterday afternoon at Apollo Hospital in south Delhi.

"He was diagnosed positive for chikungunya through RT-PCR test. He died of multi-organ failure triggered by complications from the disease," hospital authorities said.

Chikungunya is taking its toll in the national capital where the number of cases have climbed to over 1,000 this season.

75-year-old Prakash Kalra of Mathura died last evening at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where three other elderly persons succumbed to the disease on Monday.

"He was brought to our hospital in a very aggressive stage of disease, having suffered kidney failure. He was admitted yesterday in the ICU and his chikungunya RT-PCR test had come positive," hospital authorities said.

Four deaths were reported yesterday including that of a 22-year-old girl who died of cardiac arrest triggered by chikungunya complications at Hindu Rao Hospital. Isha from Kabir Nagar had died on September 1, officials said.

65-year-old Ramendra Pandey had died of chikungunya at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Monday, in what could be the first such death in the national capital.

Dr B S Rana, Chairman, Board of Management of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said in all the four deaths which have taken place, the victims were elderly.

"Uday Shanker (61) of Dwarka was admitted on September 11and he died on September 12. And, Ashok Chauhan, 62, from Aligarh also died of chikungunya on Monday. He too was admitted in ICU on September 11 and his RT-PCR test came positive," hospital authorities said.

Doctors say that chikungunya is not a life-threatening disease in general, but in rare cases leads to complications that prove fatal, especially in children and old persons.

Pandey, who was referred to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital from a Ghaziabad hospital, had died at the hospital at 4 AM after suffering chikungunya with sepsis.

Incidentally, one suspected chikungunya death has also been reported at AIIMS, but hospital authorities are yet to confirm it. According to reports, the "chikungunya death" at the AIIMS took place sometime in September.

According to a municipal report released yesterday, at least 1,057 cases of this vector-borne disease have been recorded till September 10. However, hospitals in the city altogether are reporting much higher number.

Lalit Dar of Department of Microbiology at AIIMS said, "At our laboratories, 1,360 chikungunya blood test samples have tested positive till September 11.”