Five die of dengue in a single day, 1,898 admitted to hospital

Concern over the dengue situation continues to grow. Five more people have died of dengue across the country in a single day, while 1,898 new patients were admitted to hospital in the same period.

According to the latest figures released on Saturday (24 October), the admission of nearly nineteen hundred new patients in one day underlines the severity of the dengue outbreak.

The deaths of five people in a single day have raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of the measures being taken against dengue. Coping with the growing pressure of patients has now become the biggest challenge for hospitals.

Dengue is a disease carried by Aedes mosquitoes. Patients are arriving at hospitals with symptoms such as fever, severe headache, body pain and falling platelet counts in the blood. If the condition becomes complicated and treatment is delayed, there is a risk of death.

With the number of patients admitted in one day now reaching close to two thousand, the pressure on medical services has increased further. Pictures of strain over beds and services in dengue wards are emerging from various hospitals.

Experts have consistently said that destroying mosquito breeding sites and seeing a doctor quickly when fever strikes are the main ways to prevent dengue. Regularly clearing standing water around homes is also advised.

With five deaths and a huge number of new admissions in a single day coming to light, public expectations have grown further regarding the response of the local administration and the health department in controlling dengue.

All eyes are now on which way patient numbers move in the coming days. If the situation worsens further, there are fears of new pressure on the capacity of hospitals.