Kerala in grip of fever; nine deaths in two days

With respect to fever deaths, one each was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kottayam districts.
For representational purpose
For representational purpose

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state continues to be in the grip of fever and other contagious diseases even as the Public Health Department struggles to cope  with the situation. According to official records, nine persons have died of fever and dengue in the past two days. 

With respect to fever deaths, one each was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kottayam districts. Two dengue-related deaths were reported from Thiruvananthapuram and one each from Malappuram and Palakkad respectively. One person in Thiruvananthapuram died of leptospirosis, the report of the DHS said. It also confirmed the death of a person in Kozhikode due to H1N1. 
Though the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) puts the death at 47 this month, unofficial figures say death due to fever and dengue has crossed hundred. 

Health officials said there is an increase in fever cases, and  hospitals, both government private, are flooded with patients. They also said all arrangements have been made at the hospitals to overcome any crisis. There is no shortage of platelets for patients. 

According to the figures, 17,789 people were affected with viral fever across the state on Friday. Thiruvananthapuram district recorded the highest number of cases. Of the 161 confirmed dengue cases reported from across the state, Thiruvananthnapuram topped the list with 62 cases. Ernakulam reported 23, followed by Thrissur 16, Kollam 12, Alappuzha, Kannur and Kasargod, with eight each, Wayanad seven, Malappuram and Kozhikode six each and Pathanamthitta five. The report also said 696 suspected cases of dengue were reported on Friday. 

Palakkad topped the list with 154 cases and Thiruvananthapuram came next in line with 142. 
Six confirmed and 29 suspected cases of leptospirosis were also reported. Four persons in Alappuzha were confirmed with leptospirosis and one each in Thiruvananthapuram and Wayanad. 

As per official figures, 47 persons died due to dengue and other fevers this month alone. Of the deaths, 22 people died of suspected dengue, nine of viral fever, three  of Hepatitis A, five of leptospirosis, seven  of H1N1 and one person died of malaria.As many as two lakh people were affected with fever in June. 
The figures mention 9,611 suspected dengue and 12,065 confirmed dengue cases till June 16. 

While 10 suspected and 11 confirmed cases of chikungunya were reported, 167 suspected and 104 confirmed leptospirosis cases were reported in the state. The other fever cases reported are  Hepatitis A (suspected 246, 39, confirmed 38), Hepatitis B (28), Hepatitis C (7), chicken pox (891) and H1N1 (160).

Declare health emergency: Chennithala

Alappuzha: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has urged the government to declare a health emergency in the state.  The death toll has been rising each passing day. So the Chief Minister should convene a meeting of the Health Department officers to manage the crisis, he told reporters here on Friday. “The Health Minister and the department are under slumber while the diseases are spreading without any control. Temporary wards should be opened in all the government hospitals and arrange facilities for the speedy examination of blood samples of patients,” Chennithala said. 

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