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  India   Seasonal diseases play havoc in Rajasthan

Seasonal diseases play havoc in Rajasthan

AGE CORRESPONDENT
Published : Sep 16, 2016, 3:49 am IST
Updated : Sep 16, 2016, 3:49 am IST

After a very good monsoon, Rajasthan is now in the grip of seasonal diseases.

After a very good monsoon, Rajasthan is now in the grip of seasonal diseases. Belying the health department’s claim that things are under control, 10 people have died including six from dengue and two from malaria.

Despite more than 50 deaths in the last eight months, the health department woke up only after health minister Rajendra Singh Rathore and agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini were infected by chikungunya virus.

The health minister, while confirming that he has been diagnosed with chikungunya, informed that till now 393 cases of dengue have been reported and six deaths have been confirmed. He also said that there have been 68 cases of chikungunya.

Jaipur, Kota, Alwar, and Bharatpur are the most affected from dengue and chikungunya. Apart from this, 290 cases of scrub typhus, 300 malaria cases, and 193 positive cases of H1N1 were reported in the last six months. There have been 43 deaths from H1N1 since January this year.

The government, which recently lifted ban on transfers, has now excluded the health department. “Transfers have been banned in health department. We will take decision after a review of the situation in October,” the minister said. The government has announced that investigations for chikungunya and scrub typhus will be free at all medical colleges and associated hospitals.

Free tests and medicines are available from today, he said. Earlier, the charge for chikungunya and scrub typhus tests were Rs 250 and Rs 350, respectively.

A joint director-level officer has been deputed in the most affected districts. Adequate stock of medicines has been ensured, he said while claiming that things are under control.

However, long queues at hospitals tell a different story. Patients have to stand in line for hours. Majority of the people are from rural areas. Contrary to the health minister’s claim of fogging being done in all areas, the people said that so far they have not seen it in their areas.

In fact, Jaipur Municipal Corporation had only 10 fogging machines for the city. More machines were provided by the health department only after the two ministers caught seasonal diseases.

Hospitals are short of enough beds and as a result, many patients have been camping outside the hospital. “My grandfather has dengue. I am not able to get platelets of his blood group,” said Radha Mohan who has come from nearby Chaksu.

The government has now ordered that wherever hospitals have space shortage, the schools and dharmshalas in that area should be converted to makeshift hospitals.

Location: India, Rajasthan, Jaipur