5 ‘dengue deaths’ remain unconfirmed as death review committee yet to meet

NEW DELHI: Nearly two months after a suspected dengue death was reported from All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the second week of August, civic authorities in the Capital are yet to confirm dengue as the cause of death because the Death Review Committee has not met even once this year.

As a result, five dengue deaths – three from Delhi and two from neighbouring states – await confirmation. Last year, the committee met five times, when 10 deaths due to dengue were confirmed.

The committee is responsible for going over medical records to establish conclusively that a death was caused by dengue. Without the confirmation by the committee, the death is treated as ‘suspected’ because sometimes the person might die of co-morbid conditions (other conditions the patient may simultaneously be suffering from) or might test posi- tive for dengue on a rapid diagnostic test, which can throw up as much as 50% false positives.

“The five cases have been reported by hospitals, but the committee is yet to meet. We are in the process of collecting the relevant documents and when the committee meeting is scheduled it will be presented,” said a municipal health official who asked not to be named.

The panel, which is appointed by state’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, remained without a chair for a while after Dr NR Das, the previous chair retired at age 62.

“The committee is complete. We have appointed Municipal Health Officer from the East Corporation Dr Hazarika as the chairperson after the retirement of Dr Das. There are members from all corporations and several specialists. The committee hasn’t met as there are fewer cases and deaths being reported this year,” said Dr SM Raheja, additional director of health services, Delhi total number of cases this year to 347 in Delhi residents. A total of 10 cases of chikungunya were reported, taking the total number of cases this year to 89 compared to the 368 cases last year.

“The dengue numbers are likely to remain less than the previous years because of this year’s rainfall pattern. Usually, the numbers are higher when Delhi receives intermittent showers since March or April much before the monsoons. This year, Delhi received heavy rains during the monsoon. And, most heavy showers were followed by a spell of more rain, which washed away the mosquito larvae,” said a health official.

Now that the rains have stopped and the temperature is conducive mosquito breeding has increased but “the numbers will again go down after Diwali (November 7) once there is a dip in temperature”, said an official, adding the transmission of dengue stops when the temperature is less than 16 degrees Celcius.