Malout, November 6

With another death due to dengue being reported, the toll has risen to five in Malout town. Besides, 595 people have tested positive for dengue. Notably, six persons have died due to dengue in Muktsar district this year.

Locals said Devjot Singh Makkar, alias Harry, was suffering from dengue for the past few days. He was taken to a doctor in Malout town, and later referred to a hospital in Bathinda. Thereafter, he was taken to Ludhiana, where he succumbed today. The deceased was a cloth merchant. He is survived by parents, wife and a son.

Earlier, an eight-year-old girl, a pregnant woman and two elderly persons died due to the disease in Malout town. “Ravidas Nagar and Patel Nagar are the worst-affected areas. As per official records, there have been five deaths, but we suspect that more people must have died due to dengue. It is strange that there is not even a single medicine specialist in any government hospital in the district, who can look after the dengue patients,” said Mohit Kumar, a local.

The district has total 1,412 dengue positive patients. A perusal of the records revealed that now the number of dengue cases was increasing in Muktsar town, where 409 people tested dengue positive in October and 66 in November so far.

Meanwhile, health officials claimed that they were working overtime to control dengue cases. They were earlier expecting that with a dip in temperature, the number of dengue cases would come down in October and November, but there is hardly any respite so far.

Malout Senior Medical Officer Dr Rashmi Chalwa said, “I am unwell thus unaware of any fresh death due to the disease in Malout town.”

Dr Ranju Singla, Chief Medical Officer, Muktsar, said, “A youth has reportedly died due to dengue at a hospital in Ludhiana. However, we have not received any such report from there.” — TNS

Worrying numbers
1,412 cases in Muktsar district
595 in Malout town
409 tested positive in Oct in dist
66 test postive in Nov so far