Dengue has turned into an epidemic in Bangalore. But the government does not want to confirm this.
In just a small clinic near G M Palya, C V Raman Nagar, around 40 patients are being treated everyday from the past three days. The doctors do not even want to speak about it.
Patients with dengue symptoms are coming in alarming numbers to clinics at Malleshpalya, G M Palya, C V Raman Nagar, Vignannagar, Kaggadasapura and surrounding areas. And nobody has compiled the actual numbers.
A doctor on condition of anonymity told Express: “We don’t speak about it as they (authorities) victimise us if we speak about the actual number of cases we treat.”
Even big hospitals are bound by the secrecy directive.
Manipal Hospitals director Dr Sudarshan H Ballal said, “We are not permitted to call it dengue outbreak unless the government confirms it. Patients with dengue like symptoms are coming from all walks of life and we have treated 200 to 300 cases since the beginning of this month. There are 20 to 30 inpatients with dengue-like symptoms in our hospitals at any given point of time and it is unprecedented. The number of cases have doubled compared with last year’s.”
MediHope Super Speciality Hospitals Managing director Dr Amit Agarwal too refused to speak about the number of cases that they have been treating at their hospital.
When asked about the sudden increase in the number of dengue cases in and around his hospital, Dr Amit Agarwal, MediHope Super Speciality Hospitals Managing director, said, “This was marshland before it got converted.... As there are a lot of mosquitoes here, the disease spreads very fast.”
People in the C V Raman Nagar area blame it on BBMP’s inefficient garbage and rain water management. L Prakash, a resident of G M Palya, said, “Pourakarmikas dump garbage in the storm water drains and water accumulates in the drains. This provides a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Instead of transporting garbage to segregation centres or landfills the pourakarmikas dump it in the BEML compound and that has compounded the problem.”
Local area corporator Sumithra Vijaykumar said she is aware of dengue prevalent in the area and has instructed officials concerned to do whatever is necessary to keep the disease from spreading.
In line with the government stand, Dr Dhanya Kumar, Director Department of Health said the situation is “under control” despite 150-200 cases being reported each day across the state.
“The entire machinery is geared up to tackle the situation. We have involved all district commissioners, zilla panchayat presidents and vice presidents and the health staff in primary health centres, sub-centres in the process of handling this epidemic,” Kumar said.
“The community must cooperate and ensure that treatment is sought even if there are slight symptoms,” he added.