UP's Firozabad reports 40 dengue deaths in a week
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday visited some dengue patients in the Firozabad district where around 40 people, mostly children, have died in a week and said teams will be formed to ascertain the cause of the deaths. Commenting on the situation, chief minister Yogi Aditynath said, "Till now, 32 children and seven adults have died," adding instructions have been issued to officials to ensure treatment of every patient at government hospitals."
"The death of children will be probed by a team from King George's Medical University in Lucknow and a surveillance team so that the reasons can be ascertained," he said.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the current situation, authorities have ordered the closure of schools (for classes 1 to 8) in the district, till September 6.
Firozabad schools closed in wake of rising cases of dengue
The chief minister told reporters on Monday that the first case was detected on August 18 and family members of patients started their treatment in private hospitals and clinics.
"As the district administration came to know about the fever, a paediatric isolation ward was set up... where the death of three children was reported in the past two days. Two out of the three children were brought dead," he said.
Adityanath also said samples of some patients should be sent to the King George's Medical University in Lucknow and the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
He visited the 100-bed ward of the government hospital to meet the children affected by dengue and check the arrangements for their treatment.
He warned officials of strict action against the laxity of any kind.
After visiting the hospital, the chief minister met the district magistrate, chief medical officer, additional director (health) and public representatives in the hospital's auditorium and gave necessary instructions to them to make proper arrangements for children's treatment and the prevention of dengue in the district.
He also visited the Sudama Nagar from where most of the dengue cases were reported.
Earlier, on his way to the hospital, Congress workers tried to show black flags to the chief minister but the police took them into custody.
Divisional Commissioner Amit Gupta of Agra division had also toured the affected areas of Firozabad on Sunday afternoon and had given necessary instructions to the Health Department and Municipal Corporation officials and had asked people to exercise caution.
BJP MLA Asija on Sunday said more than 40 children have died in Firozabad due to dengue since August 22-23. This morning, I received the sad news of (the death of) six children."
Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh, when contacted, said on Sunday, "The news is wrong, and there is no such report."
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