KMC to open primary treatment clinics for dengue patients

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will open clinics to provide primary treatment to patients suffering from mosquito-borne diseases, particularly dengue, said Mayor Firhad Hakim on Tuesday.

Hakim said that the clinics will come up in areas where space will be available either at the already existing KMC health centres or its neighbouring areas.

Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh, who looks after KMC's Health department, said that dengue protocol will be followed in these clinics and added that many private hospitals are not following the protocol, resulting in the deaths of patients suffering from dengue hemorrhagic fever.

The patients suffering from dengue will be admitted to these clinics. Fluids will be given to them and their blood platelets will be counted from time to time. The patients will be under constant monitoring by KMC doctors.

The civic body has already opened 16 special clinics, where only blood samples of dengue are tested. The patients are informed by SMS and those afflicted with the disease are given medicines free of cost. The blood samples are collected by KMC technicians free of cost as well.

Senior KMC officials said that they have requested people to get their blood tested if they are suffering from fever. There are blood collection centres for the same in every ward.

The civic authorities have identified 20 dengue-vulnerable wards and special drives have been carried out there. KMC has conducted extensive dengue awareness campaign from January and civic employees visited houses, apartments, state and Central government offices and housing complexes.