Dengue rages: 3 more deaths
Patients face inconvenience due to strike of lab technicians and pharmacists
The strike by lab technicians and pharmacists on Friday caused inconvenience to patients, especially those suffering from chikungunya and dengue, who could not get pathological tests done at hospitals.
Worse still, three dengue deaths were reported in the city during the day. Jitendra Tewari, 45, a resident of Sherpur Laval in Nigohan, reportedly succumbed to the disease at CHC Mohanlalganj.
The second death was reported from Mohanlalganj’s Ganeshkhera village where Chedana, 60, who was suffering from dengue for the last 10 days, succumbed on Friday.
In the third case, Santosh Gupta, 35 died in Mohanlalganj after battling dengue fever for a week.
Jitendra Tewari’s family alleged that the 108 Ambulance didn’t reach Mohanlalganj CHC for around 2 hours when the doctors there referred him to KGMU for treatment. As a result, Tewari died, said the kin.
The district administration, health department and Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) have apparently failed to control dengue menace despite a number of deaths being reported from Mohanlalganj, Nigohan, Bakshi ka Talab and Faizullahganj.
In a symbolic protest, residents of Ganga Vihar colony near Indira Nagar performed a havan for their safety from mosquitoes and diseases like dengue and chikungunya.
The residents said they were so disappointed with the district administration that they turned to God for their safety from diseases. According to Ram Naresh of Ganga Vihar colony, no fogging and cleanliness drives had been undertaken in the area despite repeated requests to civic officials.
Meanwhile, doctors at Balrampur and Shyama Prasad Mukherji hospitals had to face angry patients due to strike of lab technicians and pharmacists.
District president of Diploma Pharmacists’ Association JP Nayak and secretary RR Chaudhary said if their demands were not met before September 19, they would go on indefinite strike from September 20.
Pharmacists and lab technicians are demanding timely promotions, removal of cadre discrepancies in pay scale, new posts of lab technicians and pharmacists in new hospitals and implementation of old pension policy.