Shaheen Bagh has reported 5 suspected deaths and approximately 100 cases of the deadly viral disease this season

Temperatures are rising among the residents of this southeast Delhi colony and doctors are concerned. Shaheen Bagh is a small but densely populated locality neighbouring Jamia Nagar. The area has reported 5 suspected dengue deaths and about 100 cases in the last month or so.


Representative pic

The locality itself is not exactly a sight for sore eyes - there is no proper drainage, piles of mud and puddles of water greet you at every corner with flies and mosquitoes buzzing over them. A breath of fresh air is a distant dream, so is proper medical care.

"Several patients have come to me in the past few days; they all had dengue-like symptoms. High fever, vomiting, bodyache, weakness, decrease in platelet count, leucopenia, restlessness etc are all signs of dengue. Few of them are being treated at our centre. Others have been referred to various hospitals. The first case came to us on the 20th of July; since then many more cases have come to light," said a senior doctor from the area on condition of anonymity.

A second-year fashion designing student and a second-year B tech student were the first reported casualties.
"My daughter was a very healthy girl. But on July 28, we admitted her to Sanjeevani Hospital with complaints of high fever, vomiting and weakness. I can't comment upon the quality of medical treatment provided to her but something went wrong and she went into coma.

The doctors there said my daughter, Simi, was suffering from dengue and we were referred to the Holy Child Hospital. She died there on July 30 because of high fever, multiple-organ dysfunction and profound shock. She was in the second year of her fashion designing course and was all set to get married in two months," said Rashid, the victim's father.

"On July 22 Mehran was admitted to Apollo hospital; he died just three days later, on the 25th of July. He had high fever and his platelet count fell to 26,000. We couldn't do anything about it. It happened so suddenly," said Mehran's relative.

"We had received this information a few days ago. We consider this a very sensitive matter; two days ago we had also discussed this issue in a meeting with some senior doctors and MCD committee members. Action has already been initiated. MCD is cleaning up the concerned area and they have also sprayed some medicine over there," said Delhi Health Minister Dr Kiran Walia.

Some locals claim the government is trying to downplay the dengue cases as several players and visitors during the Commonwealth Games are to be accommodated in the neighbouring Jamia Millia Islamia University.