First suspected dengue death in Ahmedabad in 2012 reported

First death, suspectedly due to dengue, has been reported in 2012 in Ahmedabad two days back at Shardaben Hospital in Saraspur area. On the other hand, the figures revealed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) shows sharp decline in cases of various diseases such as gastroenteritis, jaundice, cholera and typhoid.

A patient died at AMC-run Shardaben Hospital two days ago. "It is yet to be confirmed whether the patient died due to dengue as the report belonged to the private hospital and we are waiting for report from our laboratory," said Dr Bhavin Joshi, AMC's in-charge medical officer of health.

It was also reported that one death was occurred due to malarial phalsifarum and one due to Malaria PV were also reported during the week in different hospitals of AMC.

The city has witnessed up to 50% decrease in the cases of various diseases compared to data of last year.  Major fall is witnessed in cases of Jaundice in first two months of the calendar year 2012.

The city had registered 418 cases of Jaundice in January 2011, where as the city registered 491 cases of Jaundice in February 2011. The city has registered 224 cases in January 2012 and 208 cases in February 2012. Similarly, cases of gastroenteritis had been at 226 and 276 in first two months of last year, which are 170 in January and 266 in February in 2012.

AMC has focused on maintaining hygiene and sanitation conditions in the city through focusing on disposal of solid waste management. "The civic body's action plan has bear fruit in term of decreasing number of both water and vector-borne disease," said Joshi. AMC had charted out policy to control water-borne disease and is in process of forming policy to control malaria.