Ganga Ram Hospital reports three chikungunya deaths

Three new deaths due to chikungunya were reported in the city's Ganga Ram Hospital. The three men, who died on Monday, were over 60 years age, authorities said.

According to the hospital, R Pandey, 65, admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital on September 11 from Ghaziabad-based Yashodhara Hospital, died on Monday morning.

"Pandey's test for the vector-borne disease came positive with an extremely high viral count. He succumbed to complications due to chikungunya with sepsis on September 12 around 4.30 am.," said a senior official of the hospital.

Another patient to succumb was 61-year-old Uday Shankar, who died in the afternoon.

"Shankar, a resident of Dwarka, was admitted to Ganga Ram on September 11. He collapsed due to chikungunya-led complications on September 12. He had reported positive for chikungunya on September 8 at the OPD," said the official.

The third death due to chikungunya complications was of 62-year old Ashok Chauhan.

According to municipal corporation data, the number of dengue, chikungunya and malaria infections stands at 1,158, 1,057 and 21 respectively. But the numbers stated by the hospitals tell a different story.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, which receives patients from various hospitals, has alone confirmed over 900 positive chikungunya cases till last week.

According to sources at the hospital, the hospital has witnessed a total of six deaths, five due to dengue and one from chikungunya since September 1.

A 30 year-old man, who tested positive for chikungunya, died at AIIMS on September 9.

"The victim succumbed due to complications from chikungunya on September 9. He was a resident of east Delhi," an AIIMS official told IANS.

There was no official confirmation of the deaths.