Kolkata: The number of dengue patients has been crawling up across several private hospitals in Kolkata over the last five days.
The hospital has taken extensive precautions and has started preparations to handle the situation effectively.At Peerless Hospital, three have tested dengue positive this week.
It has also set up dedicated isolation wards for dengue patients to prevent cross-infection.
“While initially, most cases were influenza and typhoid, we have detected at least three dengue cases in the last five days.
Manipal Hospital had a dengue patient admitted last week though he had contracted the disease in Bengaluru.
Kolkata: The number of dengue patients has been crawling up across several private hospitals in Kolkata over the last five days. The increase in admissions has been ranging between 10% and 20% a day at some facilities. The sudden, sharp rise in patient count has forced several hospitals to earmark beds for those with dengue symptoms.Desun Hospital has witnessed a ‘notable increase’ in high fever cases over the past few days, with several testing positive for dengue.Charnock Hospital has seen three-five cases per week in their inpatient department (IPD) since late-June. The hospital has taken extensive precautions and has started preparations to handle the situation effectively.At Peerless Hospital, three have tested dengue positive this week. One of them had to be admitted. The hospital has started fever panel tests to screen patients with symptoms.While the number of cases is not yet alarming, it’s time to prepare for a sudden spurt, said physicians. To prevent the spread of dengue, Charnock Hospital has introduced regular fumigation and sanitation of hospital premises to eliminate mosquito breeding sites. It has also set up dedicated isolation wards for dengue patients to prevent cross-infection. “We have started installation of mosquito nets and repellents in patient areas. That apart, screening and early detection are being stressed on and patients and staff with symptoms are being tested for early detection,” said Charnock MD Prashant Sharma.“We have already started getting dengue patients, some of whom needed admission, though not critical. They have mild symptoms while some have influenza with symptoms that overlap with dengue,” said Nishant Agarwal, head of emergency at Charnock.Scores of samples with similar symptoms have been tested at Peerless over the last fortnight, said microbiologist Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhuri. “While initially, most cases were influenza and typhoid, we have detected at least three dengue cases in the last five days. This indicates that it is spreading though it is still too early to predict an outbreak. But generally, Kolkata sees a sudden spurt in late-July, so we are heading for the danger period,” added Chaudhuri.“Our team is ensuring proper screening of symptoms for every patient and testing them if necessary. We urge the public to take preventive measures seriously,” said Tapas Ray, HoD (medicine) at Desun.Woodlands Hospital has two dengue patients admitted and both are stable, according to MD & CEO Rupak Barua. Manipal Hospital had a dengue patient admitted last week though he had contracted the disease in Bengaluru.
