Another death raises question on city’s dengue preparedness

A41-year-old man from Malwani died of suspected dengue on Friday, adding toconcernscreated by two consecutive dengue deaths in Goregaon this week. The latest death has highlighted how doctors and hospitals areclearly unpreparedtotackle thedenguethreatin thecity.      Devendra Singh's family said he was shunted from three hospitals.Thefamily spentover Rs 65,000 on Singh's treatment, butdoes nothave a clear answer to what killed him. Doctors at Malad's Riddhi Vinayak Hospital, where he was treated last, claimed his dengue report was "equivocal". "He did have classic dengue symptoms. When he came to our hospital, his plateletcountwas18,000(the normal range is 1.5-4 lakh per µl)," said intensivistDr Vinay Goyal.The hospital has stated Singh's cause of death as septicemia shock, multi-organ failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The hospital said it did not get time to run confirmatory denguetestson the patient.      Singh, a manager with a cooperative credit society, went to an ayurvedicdoctor after getting fever and rashes a week ago. After two days, he was referred to Bhagwati Hospital, Borivli. Late on Monday, Singh reached the civic-run hospital, where he was given medicines and sent home. By then, his platelet count had dropped below the acceptable range. The hospital told him there were no beds available. A doctor from Bhagwati said the patient did notlook "thatserious".      On Tuesday, Singh went to Shatabdi Hospital, Kandivli, which told him it was not equipped to treat dengue. Neighbours took him to Aditi Hospital, Malad, where he was admitted for two days. His family said he was never given platelets,whilethehospitalsaidhe was given thebest possiblecare. On Thursday afternoon, it referred him forward, and Singh was taken to Riddhi Vinayak, where he succumbed on Friday morning, after breathing with thehelp of a ventilator for three hours.TheBMCis yettolabelit as a confirmeddenguecase.