No bed if platelet count above 10,000

Patiala : Even as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has sent notices to Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana authorities seeking status reports on the spread of dengue, the enormity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that government institutions in Patiala district are admitting only those whose platelet count has slipped below the 10,000-mark or those running a risk of bleeding.
The official count of confirmed dengue cases in the home district of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Health Minister Brahm Mohindra has reached 1,070.
Four persons have reportedly succumbed to the disease so far. Officials, however, put the dengue death count at one. They claim they have yet to ascertain the exact number of deaths as many patients don’t approach government facilties for tests and treatment. A visit to city hospitals revealed that five to 10 suspected dengue patients were reporting at small nursing homes and clinics for treatment daily. The number was almost double in case of big hospitals. All beds in the dengue wards of government institutions, including 50 in Rajindra Hospital and 35 in Mata Kaushalya Hospital, are occupied. Many patients are being treated in general wards under mosquito nets.
The sudden spurt in dengue cases has sent the Health Department officials into a tizzy. Though they claim the government institutions are fully equipped to handle the situation, reports suggest platelet transfusion facilities are not adequate, thus leaving patients with no choice but to get treatment at private institutions.