Two die of suspected dengue fever, first deaths in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A youngster and a senior citizen succumbed to suspected dengue on Friday, becoming the first likely victims of mosquito-borne illness in the tech capital. Over the last three weeks, dengue cases in Bengaluru have breached the 1,000-mark — which is a two-fold increase when compared to the corresponding period last year.

The youngster has been identified as Abhilash, a 24-year-old resident of Kaggadasapura. The second victim has been identified as Niraja Devi, an 80-year-old native of Tamil Nadu. She was also suffering from cancer.

The BBMP plans to ascertain the cause of death on Saturday. “We will conduct a death audit by seeking reports from the hospitals. Only after the audit, we can give more information,” said Suralkar Vikas Kishore, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) told DH.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for those who die of dengue. The party said this is the only way to ensure that the BBMP and government act responsibly in preventing the spread of vector-borne disease. The party has also demanded free treatment for patients even in private hospitals as the government did during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The BBMP has failed to control the disease. We suspect Bengaluru has reported at least 40,000 dengue cases and not 1,500 cases as shared by the civic body. People are queuing up in front of hospitals,” party secretary Mohan Dasari said. “The government should provide free treatment to dengue patients in private hospitals as some hospitals are fleecing lakhs of rupees from patients.”

Acting under pressure, the BBMP, on Friday, launched a micro plan to stop the spread of dengue cases in Bengaluru. The civic body will also observe ‘dry days’ in order to destroy places where water is stored because it can eventually become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. As a part of the initiative, BBMP’s chief commissioner Tushar Girinath inspected some places in New Thippasandra and GM Palya. The civic body will also create awareness among people through audio announcements and door-to-door visits.