Dengue death toll at 22 in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 9 (UNI) As dengue shows no signs of abating, the death toll in Delhi has climbed to 22 with the viral disease claiming one more life at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Naveen Chandra, a resident of Delhi, died last evening after suffering dengue shock syndrome, doctors said. He was admitted to the hospital on October 5.

As the dengue deluge continued in AIIMS, the management today announced a contingency plan under which 100 additional doctors and 50 interns have been put on duty in the dengue ward. Some private wards have been converted into the general dengue ward to accommodate patients.

The contingency plan was decided at a meeting of heads of departments which was chaired by AIIMS Director P Venugopal.

The meeting also decided to form a supervising committee of two resident doctors-- Dr Anil Sharma and Dr Binod Patra-- which will work as an interface between patients and the administration.

''The committee will ensure proper coordination between the patients, the blood bank, administration and the laboratory. It will supervise the dengue operation in AIIMS,'' Dr Sharma said.

He said an automatic platelet counting machine will also be installed in the laboratory to expedite test results.

Dr Sharma said more private wards will be converted into general wards if required.

In AIIMS, 41 more dengue patients have been admitted in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 173.

Eighteen patients were discharged from the hospital in the same period. More than 6,500 patients have been screened at the AIIMS emergency OPD since Tuesday.

''The number of dengue patients is growing by the hour. AIIMS doctors are already working over time to ensure that all the patients are treated. The new wards will provide free treatment,'' Dr Sharma said.

''The resources at AIIMS have been stretched to the limits and its time that the Union Health Ministry announces some emergency measure so that resources can be mobilised,'' he added.

MORE UNI NR AK VV1523