Firozabad: Death toll due to dengue, viral fever reaches 50
What's the story
With three fresh fatalities, the death toll due to dengue and viral fever has climbed to 50 in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad, official sources 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," Chief Medical Officer Dinesh Kumar Premi said in a statement.
Treatment
Nearly 3,719 people are undergoing treatment at 36 active camps
"There are 36 active camps in the district and 3,719 people, including those who have a fever, are undergoing treatment there," he added. Amid the rising death toll, District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh has made the chief development officer (CDO) the nodal officer of the district to oversee the treatment and other facilities for the patients.
Suspension
Three doctors were suspended on Thursday on charges of negligence
The district magistrate (DM) suspended three doctors with immediate effect on Thursday on charges of negligence and warned the government doctors of strict action for any negligence in the treatment of the patients. Dr. Girish Srivastava of the Primary Health Center at Salai, Dr. Ruchi Srivastava, a public health expert, and Dr. Saurav were suspended.
Deaths
Firozabad CMO Neeta Kulshresth was also removed on Wednesday
Firozabad's Chief Medical Officer Neeta Kulshresth was also removed on Wednesday following the spate of deaths, mostly of children, since August 18 due to the suspected cases of dengue. A senior medical department official said that cases similar to those in Firozabad have also been reported from the nearby districts of Mathura, Etah, and Mainpuri.
Information
Death toll has climbed to 61, BJP MLA claimed
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Manish Asija claimed that on the basis of information available 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.
History
Similar fatal outbreaks have plagued UP in the past
Meanwhile, several hundred have been hospitalized across five other affected western UP districts: Agra, Mathura, Mainpuri, Etah, and Kasganj. With high malnutrition levels among children and poor health infrastructure, UP has seen similar outbreaks before too. Another "mysterious" outbreak in 2006 had killed several children across UP. It was later found that the deaths were caused due to the consumption of cassia beans.