Seasonal diseases: BJP MLAs turn heat on health minister

Facing heat over the rising number of dengue cases and the outbreak of other seasonal diseases, health minister Kali Charan Saraf Thursday said a probe will be conducted into the deaths in Kota. He also announcedadditional resources for fighting dengue, including morefoggingmachinesanddoctorsalongwithparamedicalstaff, at a review meeting in Kota .

Saraf had to face the wrath of allsixMLAsoftherulingpartyat the meeting held at the Government Medical College where the lawmakers unequivocally criticised the health department for failing to check seasonal diseases, particularly dengue.

LadpuraMLABhawaniSingh Rajawat said that the health department was citing fake figures of just four dengue deaths whereas more than four dozen people have died in Kota alone.

“Failure to check dengue has become a blot for the MLAs in Kota,” he said.

Another ruling party MLA PrahladGunjal(KotaNorth)said that the failure to fight seasonal disease was a disgrace. Other MLAs Chandrakanta Meghwal (Ramganjmandi); Sandeep Sharma (Kota South ); Vidhyashankar Nandwana (Pipalda) Heeralal Nagar (Sangod) were also unhappy with the health department.

This year, over 1,300 patients havetestedpositivefordenguein Kota. According to government figures,therehavebeenfourdengue deaths and 24 people have diedofSwinefluinKotathisyear.

Saraf said that according to norms only those deaths from dengue are considered whose diagnosis wasthroughElisatest. Accordingly, only four dengue deaths have been confirmed.

However,hesaidthatafactual study of the deaths due to seasonal diseases in Kota through a five-member committee of Government Medical College Kota (GMCK) will be carried out.

He also announced 50 beds at the New Government Medical College Hospital, and 30 beds at theGovernmentMaharaoBhim Singh Hospital will be provided for dengue patients. He said that three new Elisa test machines andonebloodcomponentseparation unit will bepurchased soon.

The health minister said that there are 19 fogging machines in Kota.

Now, eight more fogging machines will be provided whereas Urban Improvement Trust of Kota has also said that they will provide five fogging machines to the health department for battling dengue, added Saraf.

“Leaves and deputation of all government doctors have been cancelled in Kota, while doctors havebeenasked for night stay at the place of their posting,” he said.

He said that 17 doctors have beenpostedtoKotaalongwith23 assistant professors and 22 laboratory assistants.

After the meeting, Saraf also laid the foundation stone of the primary health centre in Borkhera area of Kota City on Thursday evening.

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