Hundreds in grip of viral fever throng health centres in UP, 65 dead in Firozabad

MEERUT/AGRA: Hundreds of people suffering from viral fever flooded community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs) across western UP districts on Thursday even as the worst-hit Firozabad district reported five more child deaths in the last 24 hours.
The death toll in Firozabad has now mounted to 65 in the last three weeks, with 50 of the patients being children, according to sources in the health department.Sources also told TOI that at least 5,000 people in the district are estimated to be bedridden with fever at home or in private hospitals.

In Baghpat, the community health centre recorded a rush of 600 patients with high fever on Thursday while facilities in Muzaffarnagar also witnessed scores of patients with viral infection. Dr Dinesh Singh, Baghpat chief medical officer (CMO), said that Baraut CHC, which used to get 40 to 60 patients every day, is now seeing more than 200 patients in out-patient department (OPD) on a regular basis since the last 10 days.
CMO of Meerut Dr Akhilesh Mohan also admitted that thousands of patients with fever are flocking to OPDs in various government and private hospitals in the city.
While the death toll from viral fever in Mainpuri stands at eight and 13 people have died in Mathura, the worst-hit district is Firozabad. Health centres are scrambling to arrange beds and more than 100 patients in critical condition have been referred to government hospitals in nearby districts. At the Firozabad medical college — the largest health facility in the district — 400 people are undergoing treatment for fever, including 345 children. Samples of 49 patients tested positive for dengue on Thursday.
A health department official told TOI that none of the samples tested in the last three weeks were found positive for Covid-19. “Most patients have dengue-like symptoms, such as high temperature, dehydration and sudden drop in platelets,” he said.
The facility has a capacity of 100 beds which was increased to 300 last week. Hospital staff said beds were being added by the hour to accommodate more patients. But on Thursday afternoon, people and children were seen lying on benches and floors on the premises of the medical college as it ran out of beds.
For many, it brought back memories of the second wave of the pandemic when hospital beds were scarce. Ajay Kumar, a resident of Daman village, lost his four-year-old son to the illness last week. “Precious time was lost as we went from one place to another looking for a bed. Finally, we admitted him to a private hospital but his platelets were too low by then,” he said.
Police have been deployed at the medical college and other government health centres to maintain law and order situation. On Thursday, a team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) also arrived in the district on the orders of the health ministry to study the viral fever outbreak.
UP DG (health) Dr Ved Vrat Singh said all districts have been put on alert. “Firozabad is under 24-hour monitoring. Special teams of health department officials and scientists have been sent to study the nature of vector-borne disease spreading in the district.”
Additional director of the health department, A K Singh, added that additional ambulances have been arranged and special cleanliness drives are being conducted in affected areas.