Thaindian News

Kolkata, Sept 6 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday paid a surprise visit to a private hospital to monitor treatment of dengue patients and for the second time in three days, underlined the do’s and don’ts to combat the disease which has already claimed four lives.

The chief minister, who Tuesday briefed the people about the nature and cause of the disease and the regimen to be followed to prevent and treat it, continued in the same vein Thursday while addressing yet another media meet at the state secretariat, Writers’ Buildings.

The chief minister said the disease rages over 148 countries in the world.

“Some of the districts did not receive adequate rains. This is a cause of the outbreak”.

On her visit to the private Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) hospital in the morning, the chief minister said: “I spoke to the authorities and took a note of the incidences of dengue”.

Banerjee advised people to take only paracetamol tablets in case of dengue, and said the government would publicise the do’s and don’ts for the disease through the electronic and print media.

“Please drink plenty of water. Go for blood tests if your have fever. Take precautions. Go to government hospitals as they have been given clear cut instructions on the protocol to be followed”.

“There is no medicine as such for dengue. There is only symptomatic treatment. Saline and adequate rest are must,” she said.

Banerjee also alleged that some banned drugs were being sold in the market in the name of curing dengue.

“Don’t take the banned medicines. They may have serious adverse reactions. The problem is we don’t know which drug is banned and which isn’t. Police have already seized some banned drugs”.

She also called for wholehearted efforts both at the individual and at the civic agency and administrational levels to prevent accumulation of water.

“I request all families, who have refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines and flower pots to ensure there is no accumulation of water.”

She also warned the people about a variety of dengue where the virus gets mixed in the blood. “It happens in only two of 100 dengue cases. But it is very dangerous.”

The chief minister said after her appeal to the private hospitals Tuesday to treat dengue victims with a humanely and bill them as per their financial ability, some of the health care providers have decided to give concessional packages.

As per official figures, 894 people have been afflicted with Dengue, of whom 567 are from worst affected Kolkata.