Death toll due to dengue, viral fever climbs to 50 in UP's Firozabad: Official

New Delhi

With three fresh fatalities, the death toll due to dengueand viral fever has climbed to 50 in this Uttar Pradesh district, officialsources said on Friday.

"So far, 50 people have died due to dengue and viral fever. Ten areas --nine blocks and a Nagar Nigam area -- in the district are affected," ChiefMedical Officer Dinesh Kumar Premi said in a statement.

There are 36 active camps in the district and 3,719 people, including those whohave fever, are undergoing treatment there, he added.

Amid the rising death toll, District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh has madethe chief development officer (CDO) the nodal officer of the district tooversee the treatment and other facilities for the patients.

The district magistrate (DM) suspended three doctors with immediate effect onThursday on charges of negligence and warned government doctors of strictaction for any negligence in the treatment of the patients.

Dr Girish Srivastava of the Primary Health Centre at Salai, Dr RuchiSrivastava, a public health expert, and Dr Saurav were suspended. Firozabad's Chief Medical Officer Neeta Kulshresth was removed on Wednesdayfollowing the spate of deaths, mostly of children, since August 18 due tosuspected cases of dengue.

A senior medical department official said cases similar to those in Firozabadhave also been reported from the nearby districts of Mathura, Etah andMainpuri. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Manish Asija claimed that on the basis of informationavailable with him, the death toll has climbed to 61.

Asija said he is constantly moving about in the area to meet the victims'families and collecting information about the deaths.