Dengue results in a low platelet count in the body which can be dealt with by platelet infusion, but in case the warning signs mentioned above are recurrent, dengue hemorrhagic fever can even prove to be fatal.
Remember seven-year-old Avinash? Yes, he’s no more. He fell prey to dengue and a rather indifferent and brazen breed of people who practice medicine. When his parents learnt that they couldn’t do enough, they jumped off a building. Dengue wiped off an entire family of three. It didn’t stop there. Dengue stung six-year-old Aman from Delhi with its diabolic sting. Another victim.
Dengue is the new danger.
Yes, maybe the kids could have been saved had they received immediate medical attention instead of dilly dallying, something that the Delhi government has ordered an investigation into and summoned private hospitals.
But it seems like there’s no stopping demon dengue.
Two minor girls died in Delhi taking the toll to 16 people getting sick with dengue fever. It was also a result of hospital negligence.
Current toll
According to the municipal officials the total number of cases crossed the 2,000-mark this year out of which around 1200 were reported recently.
So, when dengue is going all out on the prowl for new victims, what are we doing?
Government’s plan of action
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendra Jain have held back-to-back meetings with mayors and commissioners of the civic bodies and directed them to do everything possible to curb the menace.
The Delhi government has announced that private hospitals cannot charge more than Rs. 600 for tests which are free in government facilities.
The state government has also issued a “blanket order” giving its hospitals powers to employ more doctors and nursing staff and directed private hospitals to increase bed capacity to deal with rising cases of the vector-borne disease.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain has also warned private hospitals of strict action if they turn away any dengue patient. He said they must stabilise the affected persons and make necessary arrangements for their treatment.
However, before looking at what the government is doing, there’s something we need to know as well. Just like charity begins at home, the first step to ensure that dengue doesn’t the better of us, we need to be more aware of the disease, its symptoms and what to do before medical aid comes around.
Dengue and its symptoms
Dengue is a persistent viral fever ranging for more than 4-5 days, coupled with severe headache and body pain. But any persistent fever is not dengue.
Hence it’s important to understand these warning signs to distinguish between any viral fever and Dengue Hemorrhagic fever.
1.Acute fever
2.Any form of sudden bleeding from nose, ear and gums
3.Red spots on the cornea of the eye or any part of one’s body
4.Bloody urine or stool
5.Constant bruising at the lightest touch
6.Severe abdominal pain coupled with persistent vomiting, sometimes with blood
The first step is to check if there are one one or more of these symptoms. If yes, no time should be wasted in getting medical help.
Dengue results in a low platelet count in the body which can be dealt with by platelet infusion, but in case the warning signs mentioned above are recurrent, dengue hemorrhagic fever can even prove to be fatal.
If there’s any one of these symptoms, these are steps you should 1ad to be doubly sure.
2.Keeping a donors list ready will save time in the hour of need. With hospitals over worked and dengue patients on the rise, there can be a shortage of specific blood types.
3.To ensure that no time is wasted, one must also get the prospective donors screened, because it might so happen that a particular donor might get rejected. Having a ready list of acceptable donors will help save time but also lives.
4.Another important point to keep in mind is that, if there isn’t any indication that the patient needs a platelet transfusion then conducting one can be harmful to the patient instead. So until and unless there is a dire need, platelet transfusion should not be carried out.
Quote-Unquote:
Speaking on the issue, Dr Gaurav Thukral, Vice President & Business Unit Director at Health Care at Home India Pvt. Ltd, remarked, “With the increasing number of Dengue cases in the country and a lack of medical infrastructure to cater to all an acute shortage of beds is seen. In such a situation undue panic is created, where many who don’t need hospitalization end up occupying beds in hospitals and those in dire need of medical attention are left otherwise. Most of the cases of Dengue don’t need hospitalization and until and unless the symptoms are chronic. With Health Care at Home India’s services, dengue can be easily treated at home.”
What to do when doctors refuse to do their work?
All you need to do is call on the given number and ask for help.
Dengue Helpline@ 011-23307145
Stay aware, stay safe.