If the crowd of families with their sick family members waiting, and wailing, outside the district hospital in Firozabad is something to go by then the situation seems to getting worse in this district of western Uttar Pradesh which has become the epicentre of an outbreak of mystery fever and dengue. On Saturday, September 4, two more children — nine-year-old Golu and a two-year-old girl — became the outbreak’s latest victims.  

Alok Kumar, principal secretary, state medical education, Uttar Pradesh government, who is in Firozabad these days, told the media today (September 5) morning that the number of patients at the district hospital is increasing. “We have added more beds in the new building at the hospital. Sixty-five beds have been added and if need be, more will be added. Our effort is to ensure no patient is turned away from the hospital,” he said.

However, desperate family members waiting to admit their wards at the hospital complained that there was a delay in admitting patients and proper treatment was lacking. Gaon Connection met several parents outside the district hospital who claimed they had been waiting for hours to admit their young children. Some complained they were being told to take the sick patients to Agra for treatment, about 50 kilometres away.

Also Read: Firozabad echoes with the wails of grieving mothers whose children succumbed to a mystery fever

Fifty-five-year-old Kamlesh sat beside her sick grandson, 13-year-old Kanhaiya, who was lying in a park outside the district hospital waiting to get admitted. Kanhaiya ran high fever. “I am running from one doctor to another to get my sick grandson treated. My son is already dead and Kanhaiya’s mother lives with her parents. I have raised my grandson with great care and love,” she sobbed as she spoke with Gaon Connection.

Sunita’s 11-year-old daughter is admitted at the district hospital for the past five days. “My daughter was running high fever and vomiting blood. She is admitted at the hospital and thrice her blood test has been done but I haven’t received the blood test report so far. I don’t know what to do,” she told Gaon Connection today morning (September 5).

There were other family members who complained that their sick children, whose platelet count was falling, were being “forcibly discharged”. “Does the administration think we derive a pleasure in keeping our kids at hospital? We have admitted our kids here because our children are in a serious condition, but the hospital is in a hurry to vacate the beds,” Vaibhav Chaturvedi, who was accompanying a friend whose 10-year-old son Vivek is admitted at the district hospital, told Gaon Connection.

Also Read: Firozabad mystery fever: Two days of fever and stomach ache, and Manya is now just a memory

Lalu Prasad, father of another child whose son is suffering from dengue and is admitted at the hospital for the past four to five days, said that there is a delay in receiving blood sample report. “We gave blood sample for platelet count at 8 am today and it is 2:30 pm and we have still not received the report. The hospital handed over yesterday’s blood test report and is telling us to take away our child. We do not want to take a sick child home. If the doctor gives it in writing that it is safe to take our child home, we will do that,” he told Gaon Connection.

Rajkumari was also waiting outside the district hospital to get the death certificate of her five-year-old daughter signed. “My daughter died of dengue on August 28 at nine in night… The doctors said that my daughter’s condition was serious and I should take her to Agra. But my daughter died. I am here to get the death certificate signed by the adhikari,” she told Gaon Connection. “I had four kids, one of them has died. Now I am left with three kids,” she added.

Also Read: Mystery fever grips western Uttar Pradesh; 50 dead in Firozabad and 14 in Mathura, kids worst affected

Fingers are being pointed towards the unsanitary conditions, garbage dumps and stagnant water pools, in various localities of Firozabad for the outbreak. “New mohallas have been set up and there is filth. Because of urbanisation, new areas have developed and they need to be planned properly. The administration will take action against cleanliness staff who have failed to act on time,” said Alok Kumar.

Meanwhile, doubts are being raised over the official death count too. Till September 3, the official death count in Firozabad stood at 50. On September 4, two more kids (nine-year-old Golu and a two-year-old girl) died at the hospital. Gaon Connection spoke with parents of both the dead kids. However, the updated death toll issued on September 4 remained 51, and not 52.

Gaon Connection tried speaking with Dinesh Kumar Premi, chief medical officer of Firozabad. But despite repeated efforts, he was unavailable to comment.