Jamshedpur, Sept. 18: A senior resident doctor of Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, who was being treated for dengue at Tata Main Hospital, died yesterday afternoon, making him the state’s first victim of the disease.

B.M. Nayak, a 42-year-old paediatrician, had been admitted to the critical care unit of the hospital on Tuesday for viral haemorrhagic fever, after preliminary tests confirmed he was suffering from dengue.

Nayak was cremated today at his hometown of Jhargaon, Sonua in neighbouring West Singhbhum. He is survived by his doctor wife Meena, two daughters and a son.

While four confirmed cases have been reported from East Singhbhum, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi admitted as many as nine patients over the last 10 days. RIMS director A.K. Mahto said eight of the patients are now convalescing, while one has already been released.

Doctors, nurses and other staff at MGM were numbed into silence when Nayak’s body was brought to the hospital today. His colleagues paid rich tributes, describing him as kind-hearted and soft-spoken. “We’ve lost a humble colleague,” said Dr K.K. Choudhury.

Nayak’s body was later taken to his residence at Parsudih. Senior district officials, including deputy commissioner Himani Pandey and the Dhalbhum sub-divisional officer were among those present to pay their last respects to the doctor.

Superintendent of MGM Hospital S.S. Prasad confirmed Nayak died of dengue. “His condition deteriorated yesterday afternoon as his platelet count fell further,” he said.

Before he was admitted to Tata Main Hospital, Nayak had undergone a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test in a private pathology clinic. “The preliminary results of the PSA test on September 11 were positive, reflecting symptoms of dengue such as high fever and low platelet count. But a card test done at Tata Main Hospital the following day showed negative results,” said Choudhury.

District health officials said it was possible for different blood tests to show varying results, depending on the methods used. “However, as the PSA test gives the latest results, we can conclusively say the ailing doctor was suffering from dengue,” said an official.

Three more patients with dengue symptoms have been admitted to various hospitals in the steel city, prompting the district civil surgeon’s office and civic bodies to intensify preventive measures.

Shyamali Sharma, a housewife and resident of Burma Mines, is undergoing treatment at MGM Hospital, while one Avinash Kumar has been admitted to Mercy Hospital. Another person has been admitted to a private nursing home.