Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Oct 29: Notwithstanding tall claims of the Government and Department of Health for taking all measures to prevent the spread of mosquito borne disease-the dengue cases in the Jammu division crossed 1000 mark with 47 fresh cases reported in the past two days. However, owing to the ineffective treatment at city hospitals, patients are going out of the State for availing super specialized treatment.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that, a total of 1057 Dengue cases were reported in Jammu Division for the past over one month. However, most of the cases have recovered and were discharged from the hospitals, sources added.
A total of 4356 blood samples were collected till date for the confirmation of dengue, out of which 1057 were confirmed positive.
Out of these 1057 cases, 448 cases have been reported from district samba, 441 cases from Jammu District, 45 cases from Kathua district, 8 cases from district Udhampur, 7 cases from district Rajouri, 6 cases each from Ramban and Reasi districts, 4 cases from district Poonch, 2 cases from district Doda and 90 cases are those, whose addresses are not available, sources informed.
Migrant workers, labourers and their children were mostly affected by the disease as their population is thick in industrial and slum areas of district Samba like Bari-Brahmana and Vijaypur, sources said. But now, Department of Health along with Municipal Corporations has started fogging thrice a day in these areas and the rising graph of the cases have come down in the district, sources added.
The figure will rise further till the temperature dips to below 20 degree Celsius and possibility of this decrease in the temperature is in November ending till mid December, sources added.
Dengue is a chronic disease in which the blood platelets fall abruptly”, sources said, adding that the “Blood Component Separator Machine (BCSM)” is used in saving the patient by converting fresh blood into blood platelets required by the dengue patients.
The set of machines required to fight this life threatening diseases hardly costs between Rs 25 to Rs 30 lakh but, it is surprising that only two of the hospitals—SMGS Hospital and ASCOMS are equipped with it, which has compelled the patients to move outside the State for better treatment, sources said.
Sources said the BCSM established in SMGS in 2002 is working and is catering to the needs of the patients from across Jammu province, adding that the Government should have sufficient infrastructure of setting up such machinery at all district and block levels so that the people in the remote belts can get timely treatment for diseases like dengue.
Not only the non functioning of the set of machines might be the reason for the people to get treatment for this mosquito borne disease outside J&K, but paucity of space in the city hospitals, is also reason for the same, sources said, adding that the condition in the SMGS Hospital is worsening day by day due to in-sufficient space available for the dengue patients.
However, to overcome the rush at GMC where Eliza test for confirmation of dengue was conducted earlier and its report were delayed for five to six days, it is also now being conducted at Directorate of Health Services, sources added.
When contacted, Dr BS Pathania, Director Health Services confirmed that 1057 dengue cases were reported from Jammu division in the past over one month.
He said Eliza test for dengue is being conducted at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and in the laboratory at Directorate of Health Services for convenience of the patients.
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