Akhilesh Tripathi
LUCKNOW—The death of more than 100 patients from suspected dengue and viral infections in several districts has exposed the tall claims of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that medical services in his state have been upgraded and improved to face the possible Third Covid-19 wave.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also lauded the UP government for handling the second Covid-19 wave. “In tackling corona, Uttar Pradesh’s efforts are ullekhniya (remarkable),” the PM had said in July this year while visiting Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.
As many as 112 people, including 67 children, are reported to have died of suspected dengue and viral infections in Firozabad and nearby districts of Uttar Pradesh in the last couple of days, creating panic among the people.
According to details received from state government sources, Firozabad recorded 73 deaths out of which 67 was that of children.
The second-largest death figure of 26 was reported from Agra, followed by 13 in Mathura and two in Mainpuri.
Meanwhile, the chief medical officer (CMO) of the Firozabad district has been transferred for failing to control the outbreak though the situation is reported to be under control now.
An 11-member team of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) collected samples from the patients but found all of them Covid-19 negative.
Many parents and relatives of the patients alleged that there was no proper treatment in the government hospital in Firozabad. Many parents alleged that their children would not have died had the Firozabad hospital provided timely treatment. They alleged negligence on the part of the hospital staff and health department.
The situation has become alarming because death from suspected dengue and viral fever is being reported from other districts as well. Apart from Mathura, Agra and Mainpuri, there are also reports coming from Kannauj, Kanpur, Azamgarh, Rae Bareilly about deaths from suspected viral or dengue infection.
Doctors and medical staff giving treatment in medical colleges and hospitals are also reported to have caught infections. Associate Professor of Etah Medical College Dr. Vivek Parashar is reported to have contracted infection and he is currently under treatment in Mathura. He is suffering from dengue fever. Reports say that at least 100 such patients are reaching Etah Medical college outpatient department (OPD) daily for treatment.
Dr. Jitendra Agrawal, Senior Resident, Etah Medical College said, “We examine about 100 patients reaching here and every day, and mostly suffering from the same viral fever. It may be dengue but we are not sure. It will be confirmed when laboratory reports come. But the number of such patients have increased suddenly. It is a matter of concern.”
CM Yogi Adityanath has transferred Firozabad’s CMO Dr. Neeta Kulshrestha from her post for failing to control the disease. She has been sent to the post of senior consultant in Aligarh.
The current situation in the state has exposed again the claims of Yogi Adityanath after failure in dealing with the second Covid-19 wave. This indicates the health services in the state are very bad.
In the past, Dr. Kafeel Khan was blamed for the death of children due to lack of oxygen at the Baba Raghavdas Medical College in Gorakhpur and was brutally harassed and sent to jail. But this time, the CMO of the Firozabad district, Neeta Kulshrestha, has not been held responsible for the deaths of 67 children and simply has been transferred to Aligarh.
