In a deeply concerning development, the Garhwal division of Uttarakhand finds itself in the grip of an unrelenting dengue epidemic that has tragically resulted in fatalities. Regrettably, two individuals lost their lives to dengue in Haridwar and Kotdwar, both situated in the Pauri district, on Thursday, further adding to the grim death toll, which now stands at four across both districts.
In response to this escalating public health crisis, authorities have taken decisive action, serving a show-cause notice to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of Pauri for their alleged negligence in managing the dengue cases.
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The gravity of the situation has spurred Health Secretary Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar to implement stringent measures, including the immediate suspension of salaries for the Pauri CMO and CMS. These actions are attributed to their alleged mishandling of the dengue outbreak, pending further investigation.
The alarming statistics underscore the severity of the situation. In Haridwar alone, nine new cases of dengue have been confirmed, raising the total number of infected patients in the region to a staggering 242. Moreover, Pauri district has reported an additional 21 new cases of dengue within the past 24 hours. In the state capital, Dehradun, the ELISA report has identified 16 individuals as testing positive for dengue.
Efforts to combat the outbreak have been relentless, with samples collected from a total of 1,446 individuals for diagnostic testing. In Rishikesh, six individuals have tested positive for dengue, and four of them are currently receiving medical care within hospital facilities. In Vikasnagar, 21 cases of dengue have been confirmed through ELISA testing, and an additional 20 individuals exhibiting suspected symptoms await testing.
Hospitals in the affected areas are now grappling with an influx of dengue and viral fever patients, underscoring the urgent necessity for effective intervention and comprehensive public awareness campaigns to mitigate the further spread of this devastating disease.
