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Health officials said the situation was under control and necessary steps were being taken to prevent the spread of the viral fever.
In the last few days, over 15 deaths have been reported in Khadra area of Lucknow due to fever. The Health department maintains that these deaths were because of ‘various reasons’.
“Around seven of the people who died in Khadra had fever,” said Dr SP Ram, Director General (Health), while addressing the media persons on Wednesday.
“At least two of the deaths have been wrongly reported. One of the patients who died, succumbed within half an hour of complaints of restlessness. There is no disease which kills within half an hour,” said Ram, without revealing the cause of the death.
On the other hand, the Chief Medical Officer of Lucknow, Dr AK Shukla maintained that not more than three cases of deaths were caused by fever. “Three patients — Raju Singh (25), Ganeshi Kashyap (35) and Naeem (30) — had fever and diarrhoea while another one-and-a-half old girl was reported to have died of pneumonia,” said Dr Shukla. According to him, at least two of the deceased were heart patients. The Director General also claimed that all necessary steps are being taken to control the spread of the disease.
“The Chief Minister has directed us to take appropriate measures to control the deaths occurring due to fever,” said Dr Ram.
The Health department has also started a three-day medical camp in the area with four ambulances and 10 doctors.
The department has also released a sum of Rs 1.10 crore for purchase of larvicide for use in dengue-effected districts and other chemicals for controlling mosquitoes, he said.
“Khadra is a thickly populated area with 1.5 to 2 lakh population. These deaths have happened over two to three days. The situation is not normal, but it is not an epidemic because many of the deaths occurred because people did not take proper treatment,” said Dr Shukla.
While officials maintained that the viral spread is still not an epidemic, confusion prevailed regarding the data of dengue in the state.
Dr Ram, at the press conference, said the state witnessed 496 cases of dengue and eight deaths. On the other hand, while according to data from the Communicable Disease Control Room, there were 469 dengue cases and 6 deaths, data from the CMO had claimed 406 positive cases of the disease.
