KMC engineer’s child, 2 others die of dengue

KOLKATA: Three persons in the city died of dengue on Wednesday, including the 10-year-old daughter of a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) engineer. The girl died in a private hospital off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. A 13-year old girl from Belgharia died of dengue shock syndrome at a government hospital, while in the third case, a 66-year-old man from Behala died in another private hospital in Mukundapur.

The KMC engineer’s daughter, Roopkatha Pulai, had tested positive for both NS-1 and IGM tests on Tuesday, which confirmed dengue. Sources in the KMC said that Pulai had been suffering from fever for the past five days and
was taken to the hospital a couple of days ago. The girl was a Class-V student of Patha Bhawan School and a resident of Kamdahari Banerjeepara, close to Garia.
The KMC health department, however, did not confirm that she died of dengue. “We have not received any conclusive proof as yet. Let us examine all documents related to the treatment before declaring it as a death due to dengue,” an official said.
Local CPM councillor Chayan Bhattacharya felt that due to a delay in diagnosis, and the subsequent delay in beginning actual treatment, the girl did not survive.
“The girl was taken to the hospital in a critical state. Though she was suffering from fever for the past five days, it was only on Monday that she was taken for a blood test when the situation went out of control. She tested positive for dengue and succumbed to the dreaded disease within 24 hours of admission at the private hospital,” Bhattacharya said. He added that all preventive measures were being taken to ward off the dengue threat in the neighbourhood.
In the second case, Asiana Parvin, 13, died at NRS Medical College and Hospital. The girl from Belgharia was initially being treated at the College of Medicine and Sagar Dutta Hospital in Kamarhati. She was shifted to a Kolkata hospital only on Tuesday and in a critical condition. The teen died of dengue shock syndrome on Wednesday morning.
Another patient who tested positive for dengue, Sudhir Makal, 66, died in the evening at a private hospital. His death certificate mentions dengue shock syndrome and multi-organ failure among the reasons for death. The Jinjira Bazar resident was admitted to the hospital with fever on October 2. His blood samples later tested positive for dengue. According to family sources, his platelet count had started improving. His family alleged that medical negligence had led to his death and has lodged a complaint with the hospital authority.
“How can a patient whose condition was improving along with the platelet count die? That is why we have lodged a complaint with the hospital,” said a relative.
On Tuesday, 10-year- old Anish Sarkar had died of dengue in another private hospital. With the three deaths on Wednesday, the dengue toll in the city and its surroundings has gone up to at least 15 this year.