30 August 2010
By Durgesh Nandan Jha
New Delhi, India
AIIMS, the country’s premier medical institute, seems to have become a hub of dengue cases. On Sunday, the 25–year–old son of an AIIMS staffer died of the disease while family members of many doctors living on campus have been diagnosed positive. Doctors say 40–45 dengue cases have been reported from the campus, though officials did not confirm this.
The situation, say faculty members, has not changed despite four notices and two challans served on the institute. Mosquito breeding continues to be high on the campus and the staff are suffering for what NDMC chief medical officer R N Singh called the "failure of the institute administration even after repeated warnings’’.
Dr Randeep Guleria, professor in the medicine department, confirmed, "In our department, we are seeing 8–10 cases of suspected dengue fever every day from within the institute.’’
Raj Kumar, who died on Sunday, is the first reported dengue fatality on the campus. AIIMS sources said his father, Ram Kishan, works in the horticulture section. "Raj was admitted after being confirmed for dengue. His platelet count was less than 20,000,’’ said Lalta Prasad, the victim’s uncle who also works in AIIMS. Medical superintendent D K Sharma said he could not confirm the dengue death, as Sunday was a holiday.
"My 14–year–old son was diagnosed positive 10 days ago. My neighbour’s son, who has come from the US for a research programme at IIT Delhi, is down too,’’ said Dr N R Dash, assistant professor in the gastrointestinal surgery department.
Staffer’s Son Dies
Raj Kumar, 26, son of an AIIMS horticulture dept employee, dies of dengue on Sunday. His platelet count was down to 20,000 Doctors say 40–45 confirmed cases reported so far from campus. Medicine dept getting ‘8–10 suspected cases every day’ NDMC identifies 11 mosquito breeding points on campus, blames AIIMS administration for neglect. Two challans, 4 notices served
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