The Hindu : Nine-year-old dies of dengue fever

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Nine-year-old dies of dengue fever

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JUNE 25. A nine-year-old boy hailing from Kumarapuram in the city died of Dengue fever in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the SAT Hospital today, creating panic among the students and parents.

With this, the number of children who have died due to the epidemic in the SAT Hospital in the city alone has gone up to five.

As many as six children are in the ICU of the hospital at present and the condition of three of them was stated to be `serious'.

Arjun, a fourth standard student of the Sarvodya Vidyalaya, Nalanchira, had been admitted to the SAT Hospital on Monday following symptoms of Dengue fever.

He died of `bleeding and shock' this morning while under treatment in the ICU.

The hospital Superintendent, K. Rajamohan said Arjun, son of a staff nurse of the hospital and a resident of Burma Road, Kumarapuram, had ``clinical Dengue as there was bleeding''.

The boy, who had been attending school, developed fever on Friday evening and was taken to the hospital.

Following this, he was under treatment at home.

He was rushed to the hospital yesterday after he showed symptoms of Dengue fever.

According to Dr. Rajamohan, 63 positive cases of Dengue fever have been confirmed in the blood tests conducted among those patients admitted in the SAT Hospital.

Two children of the attenders of the hospital were also under treatment there for dengue.

As there is no specific treatment for those with Dengue fever, blood and blood products were needed in ample quantities.

Hospital sources said there was already a shortage of blood in the blood banks attached to the Medical College. Doctors have appealed to the public to donate blood voluntarily.

Clinic opened

The district health authorities have opened a special fever clinic at the Vithura Community Health centre, following the death of a four-year-old boy, Srihari, here due to Dengue fever.

The Health Secretary, Ramamoorthy, and the Director of Health Services, V. K. Rajan, visited Srihari's house at Vithura and the neighbouring areas on Tuesday to assess the situation.

The fever clinic will function on all days from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. and the required medicines are available at the Vithura hospital.

It has also been directed to buy additional medicines if required, using the funds of the hospital development society.

A special medical camp was also conducted here on Tuesday under the leadership of Dr. Rajmohan of the SAT Hospital.

The service of nursing school and college students would also be utilised for the fever clinic.

A meeting of panchayat officials was convened by the Health Secretary to chart out programmes to check the spread of Dengue fever, according to sources.

Panchayats will initiate programmes for vector control and rodent control.

Special awareness classes would be held and publicity material released.

The Vithura community health centre has reported over 40,000 cases of fever this year so far.

Of this, 1,000-odd cases were referrals from other centres. Dengue fever was detected in only two persons.

Meanwhile special medical camps were conducted at Pozhiyoor and Vamanapuram where Dengue fever had been reported.

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