‘Book doctors who flout norms for treating dengue patients’

 Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will request the state health department to book doctors who are found flouting the World Health Organisation and national guidelines regarding treatment of patients suffering from dengue, Atin Ghosh, member, Mayor-in-Council (Health) said on Monday. The state health department is headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Ghosh said that KMC would examine the mode of treatment which the doctors had followed in treating two children, a four-year-old and an eight-year-old, who died of an ‘unknown fever’ in south Kolkata.

He said the residence of the two deceased was situated within 200 yards of the KMC health centres of wards 71 and 73. The health workers who visited the house of the deceased came to know that the younger victim, who was admitted to SSKM Hospital, did not have his blood examined. The parents and relatives went to SSKM and released him on bond. He was taken to a private nursing home where he eventually died. The blood sample of the other deceased was not examined as well.

Ghosh said he had asked officials of the health department to get the prescription and the findings of the doctors to know whether they had followed the proper method of treatment or not. He added that the WHO guidelines for treating dengue patients had categorically stated that the doctors should give paracetamol to bring down the temperature of the patient and get the blood examined and should not administer antibiotics before going through the blood report. However, many doctors are administering antibiotics without examining the blood of patients.

Ghosh said that despite repeated requests, many doctors were not following the WHO guidelines. But he maintained that majority of doctors in KMC clinics follow the guidelines for treating patients suffering from malaria and dengue.

However, Ghosh also regretted that in spite of examination of blood and availability of medicines free of cost, many people did not turn up at KMC clinics. “We have the best doctors and experts to treat cases of mosquito-borne diseases and I request people to come to our clinics, get the blood examined free of cost and get the medicine with appropriate dosage also free.”

He said that KMC had left no stone unturned to ensure that the anti-larvae drives were conducted regularly. The awareness campaign is on, along with the door-to-door visit by KMC employees. Ghosh, along with senior KMC officials, often visit state and centre-run offices, hospitals, schools, nursing homes to supervise the drives.