Hospitals directed to keep watch on patients admitted with high fever
With five cases of dengue confirmed in Jammu, the Health Department alerts hospitals to keep a watch on patients admitted with high fever.
A senior health official said though the situation was under control, but keeping in view the past experience, when administration was caught unprepared about the disease leading to panic and confusion among people, no chance was being taken this time.
Almost all the city localities are vulnerable to the disease, while majority of the cases of dengue during 2013 were reported from Samba, Vijaypur, Purmandal, Gura-Slathia, Bari Brahmana, Ramgarh, Kathua, Jammu, RS Pura, Satwari, Gajansoo and parts of Rajouri district. In 2014, a few cases were reported due to floods.
“Five cases have been reported so far. Most of the patients are recovering, but we are monitoring the situation. We are collaborating with civic bodies to start fogging on daily basis across the city for the next one month,” said Dr GS Pathania, Director, Health, Jammu.
During 2013, there was panic and confusion across the Jammu region as only Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) had the required facilities to identify dengue cases. More than 1,000 cases were detected and about four persons died, mostly in private hospitals and nursing homes as government hospitals were ill-equipped to deal with the cases.
Dr Pathania claimed that the preparation started from July itself and hospitals had been provided with testing kits so that patients did not have to depend on private clinics which added to the confusion. “Medical staff in district hospitals have been trained a few months ago and the required equipment and diagnostic kits have been placed at the disposal of hospitals. We are not now dependent on medical college only for conducting tests,” Dr Pathania claimed.
The government had already banned the rapid serology test (NS1) for diagnosing dengue by clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and clinical establishments and recommended the National Institute of Virology kit, commonly known as ELISA test, for the detection of 1gM to confirm fever.
