No space left in hospitals for dengue patients: Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi
Puducherry: Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Sunday asked government and civic bodies to take full efforts to tide over the growing incidence of dengue fever. She appealed to all sections of people to deal with dengue as there was a 700 per cent rise since last year in incidences of dengue in the Union Territory.
Talking to mediapersons here after holding a meeting with officials of various departments including Health and Local Administration, Ms Bedi said medical reports point out that there was a 700 per cent rise since last year in the incidence of dengue in Puducherry.
“Dengue is an epidemic here. There is no more space in the government hospital though they have already added four more special wards for dengue patients. Even Jimper is overflowing with patients. They are also short of medicines”, said the Lt Governor.
She has appealed to the Finance secretary to sanction adequate funds to the hospitals and also the requisite machinery to carry out anti dengue measures. Ms Bedi also appealed to all MLAs to work in their respective constituencies to fight dengue. “Go house to house to tell people to check any breeding place or stagnant water. The municipal officials are also requested to go around the city market and shops to do the same. And sprinkle oil on it to stop it from breeding larvae. The hospitals have no more space left”, she said.
The medical Superintendent of Indira Gandhi goverment hospital and research institute, Mohan Kumar, said that in 1,200 cases of fever reported at the general hospital, 261 patients tested positive for dengue in August. In September, out of 2,000 patients, 367 tested positive for dengue. The hospital authorities are working at full swing to address the increasing number of patients, he added.
Earlier the Lt Governor had accused the government departments and Chief Secretary of doing ‘poor work ‘ in preventing the disease. “It’s been absence of coordination within administration which is between municipal services and the health departments. It is a serious failure on the part of both political and administration leadership”, charged the Lt Governor in a Whatsapp message on Saturday. The Lt Governor also said the Union Territory urgently needs a change of the current chief secretary who has completely failed to forge coordination, implementation and oversight over performance of various departments.
