457 cases reported in 3 days
While Mumbaikars soaked in the pleasure of the onset of monsoon, the lashing rains have also brought along with them a number of water-borne diseases.
The downpour that the city witnessed last weekend, has made the BMC sit up and take notice. Municipal hospitals have reported 457 cases in just three days.
Close behind are the cases of viral fever — 311, followed by gastro 106, malaria 35 and suspected leptospirosis five. There are no cases of dengue so far.
BMC’s executive health officer Dr Jairaj Thanekar believes there is no cause for alarm.
“457 out of the 13 million population of Mumbai is not a huge number. BMC hospitals admit 20 patients a day which is quite normal and expected during the monsoon,” said Thanekar.
Thanekar said, “Viral fever could be worrisome. The civic body takes fever cases seriously to rule out dengue, malaria and leptospirosis since they start with fever.”
The BMC has kept twenty five stand-alone health posts on alert. Medicines required will be dispatched immediately to start out-patient departments (OPDs), when the number of patients swell.
As per the norms laid down by the recently introduced epidemiology committee, three medical colleges, chief medical superintendent and senior medical superintendent from Kasturba Hospital will submit a report on daily admissions and deaths (if any) of patients suffering from malaria, leptospirosis, dengue, fever and gastro. Private hospitals too will have to submit reports if they stumble upon suspected cases.
