Dengue spreading in State: Limbavali
Officials used to hide casualty numbers, says health minister
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Aravind Limbavali on Wednesday admitted in the Assembly that officials of his department used to hide the truth about the dengue deaths, prior to his taking over as minister.
Replying to a question by Bandepppa Kashempur (JD-S), the minister said, “It is a fact that officials used to conceal information regarding the deaths. But, once I took over as the minister, I instructed officials to give correct information. Details are now hosted on the department’s website also,” he said.
Admitting that dengue was spreading in the State, the minister said it was not possible to completely stop it as it was a weather-related disease. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike should have done better in containing the spread of the disease, he said. In Bangalore Urban district, eight deaths due to dengue have been reported so far.
As many as 21 deaths have occurred in the State from January 2009 to November 2012. Since 2009, the State has registered 4,701 cases, including those reported from private hospitals.
When the Opposition members asked whether platelets, which have to be administered to dengue patients, were available in the government blood banks, the minister replied in the positive.
He said platelets were available in 19 blood banks in the State. The department is collecting Rs 350 from patients as “handling charges” for providing platelets.
Limbavali said utmost care was being taken by the department to ensure proper treatment for patients. Even patients in private hospitals are being monitored. The State is the first in the country to conduct larva survey to contain the spread of the disease, he said.
However, the Opposition members charged that the minister was misleading the House by not giving a clear picture of the dengue deaths.
DH News ServiceBelgaum: Minister for Health and Family Welfare Aravind Limbavali on Wednesday admitted in the Assembly that officials of his department used to hide the truth about the dengue deaths, prior to his taking over as minister.
Replying to a question by Bandepppa Kashempur (JD-S), the minister said, “It is a fact that officials used to conceal information regarding the deaths. But, once I took over as the minister, I instructed officials to give correct information. Details are now hosted on the department’s website also,” he said.
Admitting that dengue was spreading in the State, the minister said it was not possible to completely stop it as it was a weather-related disease.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike should have done better in containing the spread of the disease, he said. In Bangalore Urban district, eight deaths due to dengue have been reported so far. As many as 21 deaths have occurred in the State from January 2009 to November 2012. Since 2009, the State has registered 4,701 cases, including those reported from private hospitals.
When the Opposition members asked whether platelets, which have to be administered to dengue patients, were available in the government blood banks, the minister replied in the positive.
He said platelets were available in 19 blood banks in the State. The department is collecting Rs 350 from patients as “handling charges” for providing platelets.
Limbavali said utmost care was being taken by the department to ensure proper treatment for patients. Even patients in private hospitals are being monitored. The State is the first in the country to conduct larva survey to contain the spread of the disease, he said.
However, the Opposition members charged that the minister was misleading the House by not giving a clear picture of the dengue deaths.
