Uttarakhand: Health secretary reviews medical arrangements amid rising Dengue cases

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 30 (ANI): The Health Secretary of Uttarakhand on Wednesday made a surprise visit to the Doon Medical College Hospital in Dehradun to review the medical arrangements amid rising cases of Dengue. Health Secretary R. Rajesh Kumar reviewed the blood bank. Kumar said that the process of single donor platelets (SDP) and Random donor platelets (RDP) should be carried out around the clock.\

In the SDP method, platelets are collected from a single donor while in the RDP method, platelets are prepared from the donated blood of qualified donors. Health Secretary Rajesh Kumar said, “Strict action will be taken on complaints of hospitals, blood banks and pathology labs charging exorbitant fees from dengue patients or overcharging for platelets and jumbo packs in the name of treatment”. The Health Secretary also said that black marketers will not be spared.

Dengue cases in the state has crossed six hundred cases creating fear among the residents of Uttrakhand. According to the information received from the Health Department, Dehradun has the maximum number of four hundred and eighteen (418) dengue patients while the toll in the entire state stands at six hundred (600). Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Dehradun districts of the state are the most affected by dengue. Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. Waterlogging in areas due to incessant rains has caused a preferable environment for Aedes mosquitoes to breed. These mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses.