5-month-old Mandya boy dies of suspected dengue in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: A five-month-old-boy, who was under treatment for dengue at Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Bengaluru, died in the early hours of Saturday. This is the first dengue-related death reported in Bengaluru and the second in the state this year.
The boy was the third child of Shivamma and SV Bhagyakumar from Shikaripura village in Nagamangala taluk of Mandya district.The ventilator-dependent child had been battling for life in ICU since July 18.
On July 18, the child was admitted to a private hospital in Nagamangala. From there, he was brought to the government-run Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) in Bengaluru the same night. “There was no ventilator available at the government hospital and we were asked to go to a private hospital. My baby’s condition was already worsening and he also had bouts of seizures. We rushed him to KIMS and he was placed on ventilator. There are over 15 dengue cases in our village,” said Bhagyakumar, a gramin dak sevak in Nagamangala.
On Sunday, a volunteer had gone to KIMS to donate platelets to the boy, following a request raised by the family to the city’s blood banks. But the boy had passed away by the time the volunteer reached the hospital at 6am. The boy was cremated on Saturday afternoon.
The family had plans to conduct the naming ceremony of the child in a month.
‘Elisa test not done’
Dr R Nisarga, chairman, KIMS, said the boy had suffered multiple organ failure. “He had tested positive for NS1 antigen test of dengue and the Elisa test was yet to be done. As per the government protocol, to notify a case as dengue positive, Elisa (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test is mandatory. The boy was treated for dengue and this is a suspected case,” said Dr Nisarga.
The family, however, alleged delay in treatment for over two hours on July 18, as they went in search of a hospital with ventilator from IGICH.
‘Shortage of ventilators’
Dr Naveen Benakappa, medical superintendent, IGICH, said there is a shortage of ventilators and the family was explained about the condition. “The hospital has 40 ventilators and all were occupied at that time,” he added.
On Saturday evening, the health department staff from Nagamangala visited the boy’s family and collected health documents.
On July 11, a five-year-old boy in Guddadaranganahalli village in Chitradurga district, had died of suspected dengue fever. The health department, however, is yet to conduct death audit in both the cases.