Toll rises to 11, AAP pitches for 'One Delhi' to counter Chikungunya

Five more deaths from chikungunya complications were reported on Wednesday at a private hospital in Delhi, while AIIMS confirmed one suspected case, taking to 11 the number of fatalities due to the vector-borne disease in the city that is grappling with a severe health crisis.

Five deaths have taken place at Apollo Hospital and most of the victims were aged 80 or above. "We have had five deaths in the past three weeks of patients with chikungunya fever, most of whom were elderly. 80-year-old Mahendra Singh from Ghaziabad died of chikungunya complications yesterday afternoon," hospital authorities said. "He was diagnosed positive for chikungunya through RT-PCR test. He died of multi-organ failure triggered by complications from the disease," they said.

Chikungunya is taking its toll in the national capital where the number of cases have climbed to over 1,000 this season and fever clinics are getting swamped with rush of patients. "Most of them had associated co-morbid disease conditions and complications like chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, which affect the course of recovery," Apollo Hospital said. One suspected chikungunya death at AIIMS was today also confirmed.
"The patient died last week. He was aged above 60 and had co-morbid conditions and died of multi-organ failure," a top AIIMS official told PTI.

Five deaths from chikungunya were reported till yesterday in the city that is battling a viral onslaught of this disease after nearly 10 years. Four of these deaths took place at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH).
75-year-old Prakash Kalra of Mathura died last evening at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where three other elderly persons succumbed to the vector-borne disease on Monday. A 22-year-old girl died of cardiac arrest triggered by chikungunya complications at Hindu Rao Hospital. Isha, from Kabir Nagar, had died on September 1, officials said.

65-year-old Ramendra Pandey, referred to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital from a Ghaziabad hospital, had died of chikungunya with sepsis on Monday. Six of the 11 victims belonged to Uttar Pradesh, including two from Ghaziabad, and four to Delhi. Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain today said "chikungunya medically cannot cause death and therefore these deaths reported in hospital would be examined, as to whether there were co-morbid conditions like diabetes or kidney problems in them."

Doctors say that chikungunya is not a life-threatening disease in general, but in rare cases leads to complications that prove fatal, especially in children and old persons. According to a municipal report, at least 1,057 cases of this vector-borne disease have been recorded till September 10. Meanwhile, AIIMS laboratories have tested 1,443 chikungunya blood test samples positive till yesterday. 

A day after intense bickering over chikungunya deaths with the BJP-ruled civic bodies, the ruling AAP today pitched for 'One Delhi' as it extended "olive branch" to the Opposition, saying the health crisis has to be tackled together. In line with the party's emphasis to "rise above politics" and "bridge differences", Water Minister Kapil Mishra was joined by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari during a fumigation drive in north east Delhi's Sonia Vihar area in the afternoon.

Mishra also quoted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as having said "no matter what", various agencies and political parties will have to work together to tackle chikungunya that has claimed several lives in Delhi this season. The political cool down came a day after Kejriwal said Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be "questioned" over the issue as "all powers" regarding the city's governance "rest with them".

Striking a conciliatory note, Mishra said the "barriers" among the Delhi government, the Lt Governor, the civic bodies and the Centre should be "brought down" in favour of "one Delhi" as "passing the buck" would only trouble the residents of the national capital. "We have to fight these diseases together, forgetting politics. No matter what, we will have to be united in eliminating these diseases and mosquitoes," Mishra quoted Kejriwal as having told him.

"Delhi's seven MPs, 70 MLAs and 272 municipal councillors can do it together by hitting the streets and undertaking fogging exercises wherever possible. In fact, the MPs should lead the programme and guide the MLAs and Councillors," Mishra said. AAP's Delhi convener Dilip Pandey also made a similar appeal, saying everyone, including the elected representatives of BJP and AAP, should work together to combat chikungunya.

"Passing the buck around doesn't solve anything, Delhi Gov, MCD and LG must work together to ensure people come first. #OneDelhi above politics, allegiances and personal interests. @KapilMishraAAP offers the olive branch to all, ensuring health comes first.

"#OneDelhi cannot be crippled by fractured politics. All responsible must come together to solve the vector borne disease outbreak. MCD must handle prevention, while Health Ministry will ensure quality treatment. #OneDelhi must together overcome this crisis (Sic)," Delhi AAP's official handle tweeted.