Chikungunya toll rises to 15 in Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) The number of fatalities due tochikungunya complications has risen to 15 in the nationalcapital as two more deaths were reported today from a hospitalin the city which is battling the outbreak of the vector-bornedisease. "Two elderly persons, both aged above 70 and belonging toDelhi, died on September 15 of chikungunya complications atSir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH). One of them suffered fromhypertension while the other had kidney problems," a hospitalsource said. The number of deaths from chikungunya complications atSGRH has climbed to seven, the highest at any hospital in thecity. Out of the 15 deaths, Apollo Hospital has reported five,while AIIMS, Hindu Rao Hospital and PSRI recorded one deatheach. Gulab Chand Gupta (70) from Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi,died on September 12, a family member yesterday said. "He was admitted at Pushpawati Singhania ResearchInstitute (PSRI) in south Delhi on September 7 and succumbedto chikungunya complications on September 12. His medicalreport says he died of acute febrile illness with septic shockand multi-organ failure," his son-in-law Santosh Mangal said. Chikungunya and dengue have claimed at least 33 lives andaffected nearly 3,000 people in Delhi. 18 people have died ofdengue which has affected over 1,100 people in the city. The Centre had yesterday sought a detailed report fromthe Delhi government on deaths due to it and dengue, includingmedical history of the deceased. "We have asked for a detailed report on the deaths due tothe vector-borne diseases in the city. Also, we have soughtmedical history of the deceased, whether they had anyco-morbid conditions," Union Health Minister J P Nadda said onthe sidelines of a symposium here on liver transplant. "Many of the patients diagnosed in Delhi are coming fromthe NCR region and so fever clinics could also be set upthere. We are resolving this matter with Haryana and othergovernments in the NCR," he said. Nadda had yesterday met Delhi Health Minister SatyendraJain to discuss the situation and assured all support to thecity government, while asserting that no patient is beingturned away without treatment and there is no shortage ofdoctors and drugs. The Delhi government has also asked private hospitals notto release data on vector-borne disease cases "directly to thepress", which may "create panic". In the wake of chikungunya outbreak, the Delhi governmenthas initiated the process for declaring chikungunya as anotifiable and dangerous disease. Doctors say that chikungunya is not a life-threateningdisease in general, but in rare cases leads to complicationsthat prove fatal, especially in children and elderly persons.PTI KNDSMN