Mon hospital reports 924 dengue cases in 3 months

DIMAPUR — Within a span of three months (July till date), Mon District Hospital reported a total of 924 dengue cases, out of which 63 were confirmed through Elisa test while remaining 861 cases were tested positive through rapid diagnostic test (RDT).

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Currently, 71 patients who tested positive through RDT are admitted at the district hospital, seven of them in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the district hospital sources said.

When contacted, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Mon, Dr. Vezokholu Theyo, informed Eastern Mirror that due to shortage of manpower at the district hospital, additional medical staff including doctors and nurses from Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs), have been mobilised to assist the situation.

Theyo said that the first dengue positive case in Mon district through RDT was reported on July 4, the first dengue positive case confirmed through Elisa test on July 28 and the first dengue-related death on August 14.

The CMO also said that between August 1 and September 9, a total of 452 samples were tested for scrub typhus, out of which 122 samples yielded positive cases.

Theyo admitted that the district hospital is currently grappling with shortage of manpower as the staffing level is suitable for managing a 50-bedded hospital only, whereas the hospital was upgraded to a 100-bedded facility.

She also disclosed that the hospital is currently facing a consistent inflow of over 130 patients daily as compared to around 20 patients discharged, creating a challenging situation.

She expressed concern about the wellbeing of existing staff members who are already experiencing stress due to the overwhelming workload. The potential breakdown of the current manpower is a significant concern and so the hospital made a request for additional personnel to address the issue, Theyo said.

Taking stock of the alarming dengue/scrub typhus outbreak in Mon district, the state Health department had, in an order on September 16, called for temporary reinforcement of the district hospital’s workforce with the addition of five doctors, ten nurses and five lab technicians. The additional health workers are likely to join the hospital by September 18 or the 19th, the CMO said.

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The CMO further informed that during the initial outbreak of dengue in the district when only seven cases of dengue were reported in the month of August, the Health department promptly issued a dengue outbreak alert.

The Health department also initiated an awareness programme and conducted fogging operations, which primarily targeted adult mosquitoes, Theyo added

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