Patna: The state government on Wednesday declared six government medical college and hospitals and Rajendra Medical and Research Institute as sentinel surveillance hospitals to fight dengue and chikunganya outbreaks.
The six facilities are Patna Medical College and Hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital, and Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.
According to Bihar State Health Society (BSHS) data, over 1,500 cases of dengue and over 500 cases of chikunganya have been reported across the state in the last two months.
State health minister Mangal Pandey said all districts have been directed to take precautions before sending suspected cases to the sentinel surveillance hospitals. Blood samples of such patients should be tested and only where platelet count is down should they be referred to these hospitals.
The health department has also directed districts to ensure proper fogging of malathion and availability of fogging machines. The chemical is used to control mosquitoes.
The government has made 20 beds available at PMCH and 10 beds each at five other medical colleges for treating dengue patients alone. District hospitals too have been asked to earmark five beds for such patients. The health department has also taken steps to ensure availability of sufficient stock of platelets at the sentinel hospitals. Platelet count drops drastically in dengue patients, sometimes proving fatal.
Pandey said platelets have been stocked up at medical colleges. PMCH and NMCH have been asked to purchase 500 and 200 rapid diagnostic kits for dengue.
The health minister said diagnostic kits have also been made available at Kurji Holy Family Hospital and Mahavir Vatsalya Hospital.
Pandey also expressed grief over deaths caused by dengue and Chikungunya in the state and said the department will make all possible arrangements to provide quick relief to people facing problems because of the disease's spread.
