CPM MLA helming protests against govt over outbreak tests positive

CPM MLA Sujan Chakrobarty at RTIICS on Thursday. Express

CPM MLA Sujan Chakraborty, who has been leading the protest against the state government and civic bodies for their “failure” to control the dengue outbreak, has contracted the vector-borne disease. He was admitted at the Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) on Thursday.

“Doctors told me to conduct some tests. The results have come out. They showed NS1 18, which means dengue positive. Yesterday the platelet count was 1.45 lakh. Today it came down to 1.3 lakh. After getting the reports, doctors asked me not to take a risk and get admitted,” Chakraborty told reporters before getting admitted at RTIICS. Left leaders said he has been running a temperature for the last 3-4 days.

The state government has been in a state of denial regarding dengue cases, terming many of them as an “unknown” disease. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said around 13 people have died due of dengue in state-run hospitals, while around 27 “dengue” deaths in private hospitals are being investigated.

The Opposition, however, has claimed that over 200 people have died of dengue across Bengal and over 50,000 others have been affected by the disease. The Left Front, Congress and BJP have slammed the state government for its “failure” to control the outbreak and “making attempts to suppress” facts on dengue deaths. Chakraborty has been at the helm of his party’s fight against state government over dengue.