Dengue rampant in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam

VIJAYAWADA/GUNTUR: Over 124 dengue positive cases were reported in Krishna district out of 600 suspected cases from January to October 26 this year. There was a spurt in dengue cases in Vijayawada city, which reported the highest number of dengue cases last year.It may be noted when the people made a hue and cry over increasing dengue cases in Vijayawada city last year and alleged that private hospitals were fleecing the patients in the name of platelet shortage, the district administration was forced to assure the people of treatment at government hospital and supply of platelets at reasonable price.The district administration also provided rapid diagnostic kits to urban health centres to refer cases of suspected dengue to the government general hospital.A resident of Payakapuram, P Satyam, a daily wage earner, said people had to borrow to meet the exorbitant cost of treatment at private hospitals last year.This year the situation is a little better and the number of cases have come down due to the dry weather and absence of mosquito breeding.District medical and health officer TV Ramana Rao said they were directing the medical officers at primary health centres to refer cases to the government general hospital if there was a continuous fever for five days.He said rapid kits were available at the GGH for dengue testing.In Vijayawada the cases came down to ten, according to the officials.In Prakasam district, people are worried about increasing dengue fevers.According to district authorities, seven suspected dengue deaths and 99 dengue positive cases were reported so far.The staff of the medical department collected 556 blood samples from 29 villages in 22 mandals.Among them five dengue positives were identified at Umamaheswarapuram in CS Puram mandal and two at Pottlapalli in Darsi mandal.The seven suspected dengue related death case sheets and other medical documents are being sent to medical auditing team for examining, says DM&HO Dr K Sudhakar Babu.With increasing danger of people falling victim to vector-borne diseases like malaria chikungunya and dengue, collector Kantilal Dande ordered sanitation drive on a war-footing in 29 villages in 22 mandals.