UP viral fever: Death toll mounts to 60 in Firozabad

AGRA: With the death of five more persons, the number of those succumbing to viral fever in UP’s Firozabad district soared to 60 on Wednesday. Of them 45 are children. The Uttar Pradesh government has removed the chief medical officer (CMO) of the district which saw five fresh deaths in the last 24 hours.
Till afternoon, 375 patients, including 285 children, were undergoing treatment at Firozabad Medical College, health department officials confirmed.
Meanwhile, 11 senior doctors and six junior doctors were sent to Firozabad to deal with the crisis.
Epidemic intelligence teams and vector-borne disease specialists are also camping in the district. A central government team has also anchored in the district to study the nature of the vector-borne disease.
According to the government order, CMO Neeta Kulshresth has been transferred to Aligarh’s Malkhan Singh District Hospital. Dr Dinesh Kumar Premi will take her position.
According to the health department officials, the chief minister is monitoring the situation. He has ordered to keep a round-the-clock watch on Firozabad and has also ordered to increase beds in the government hospital.
In view of the increasing viral fever cases in the districts, the CM has also ordered a surveillance and awareness program in the state from September 7 to 16, in which health workers will go door-to-door and identify those with fever and Covid-19 symptoms. The chief minister has also given instructions to urban and rural civic bodies to clean the area.
UP’s director general (health) Dr Ved Vrat Singh said, “Round-the-clock monitoring of Firozabad and adjoining districts is being done from the headquarters. Special teams of health department officials and scientists have been sent to study the nature of vector-borne diseases spreading in the district. We are sending senior doctors and paramedical staffers to the district. All the districts have been put on alert regarding the spread of viral fever and dengue.”
Additional director of the health department, AK Singh said, “We have ensured adequate availability of platelets and blood of different groups at the government centres. Required medicines for patients suffering viral fever have also been sent. Our teams are going door-to-door to identify patients and provide them required assistance. Additional ambulances have been arranged to bring patients to hospital. Civic body teams are carrying out special cleanliness drives in the affected areas. Helpline numbers have also been issued. All the recent deaths of patients suffering from viral fever are being investigated.”
The officer said, so far 40 cases of dengue have surfaced in Firozabad district. None of the admitted patients was tested positive for Covid-19.
Firozabad mayor Nutan Rathore said, “People are going for treatment to quacks operating in different parts of the districts. Their condition becomes serious due to lack of proper treatment. This is resulting in an increasing number of deaths. Authorities should take action against quacks.”