Dengue cases have increased almost five times in the past one month in the district. The dengue case count was 49 on October 22, which reached 236 on November 22 in the district.
Health officials said a majority of the dengue cases were detected in Muktsar and Malout towns.
Dr Ranju Singla, Chief Medical Officer, Muktsar, said 10 special teams were formed to spread awareness among the public. Besides, fogging was being done and dengue larvae were being destroyed, she said.
She urged the public to get treatment from doctors rather than visiting quacks. “The Civil Hospital in Muktsar is equipped with an apheresis machine, which separates blood into different components – platelets, red blood cells and plasma,” she said.
The family of a dengue patient said the Health Department should depute a specialist at the Civil Hospital in Muktsar so that patients did not have to go to private doctors or other towns. “My son tested positive for dengue and he is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Ludhiana. The treatment at private hospitals is very expensive,” said a local woman.
An official of the Civil Hospital said, “We are waiting for a medicine specialist to be posted at the hospital here. It will be beneficial for patients, especially the poor. At present, the doctor having the charge of the Assistant Civil Surgeon is the medicine specialist, but he can’t manage the extra workload due to his other duties.”
