Political feud breaks out as dengue claims 2 more lives

Kolkata: A totally unnecessary political war broke out on a day when 2 persons, including a Class 4 boy, died of dengue in and around Kolkata in last 24 hours. 

Dey, an aged woman from Vidyasagar Colony, was down with fever for the past four days. On November 1, she was admitted to a private hospital off E.M. Bypass at Ruby. She died there late on Saturday. Soumyadip, a Class 4 student, was admitted to Dr B.C. Roy Memorial Hospital for Children at Phoolbagan where he died at around 11.30 pm on Saturday. He wanted to become a footballer, according to his parents.

It all began after city mayor and Trinamul Congress minister Sovan Chatterjee on Sunday claimed that the impact of dengue has been less this year compared to the previous years. 

Countering Mr Chatterjee’s claim, CPI(M) state secretary Surjyakanta Mishra, who was the health minister during the Left Front regime, alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government was not revealing the correct information to the public. 

The victims were identified as Sabita Rani Dey of Netaji Nagar and Soumyadip Pal of Kestopur in the outskirts of the city. 

Mr Chatterjee also accused the Opposition of spreading false information to create panic among the public while taking part in a drive by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to combat dengue in ward no 131 in Behala.

“Unlike previous years the impact of Dengue has not increased in Kolkata. All kinds of steps are being taken by the KMC which is alert along with the state government. People should visit the KMC clinics for their treatment. Any death is sad. But the cause of all deaths is not Dengue,” he said in the morning.

“Those who have vested political interests are claiming these deaths were due to dengue. I urge them to refrain from spreading false information,” Mr Chatterjee added. 

In the afternoon Dr Mishra said, “A problem can not be solved by hushing up the truth. This only aggravates the problem.”

Training guns on the state government, he added, “There is a pressure on the doctors to not to mention Dengue as the cause of death.”