The Regional Health Authority of Region Six has remained mum on the dengue numbers throughout the month of July although the mosquito infestation remains a serious problem in the district.
In June, Region Six Chairman, David Armogan had provided an update stating that the numbers of the mosquito-borne infection have been increasing every month since January.
According to him then, in January there were 80 cases recorded, February 143, March 204, April 329 and May 474 cases “which means that there is a serious increase in the number of cases recorded.”
However, Stabroek News made several attempts to get the figures for the month of July.
On July, 4, Regional Information Offi-cer for Region Six, Royan Abrams, told Stabroek News that he had made contact with Armogan who was “unable to get in contact with the RHO (Dr. Vishalya Sharma.)
The Information Officer then said that he had also left her a message and was awaiting a reply.
Armogan on July 26, when contacted directly said that he did not have the figures and directed this publication to Dr. Sharma.
However, Dr Sharma has not responded to enquiries made by this publication since.
Meanwhile, sources at the various hospitals in the region told this newspaper that they continue to treat patients exhibiting symptoms of dengue daily.
The Trinidad Express recently reported that doctors are noticing that a lot more children in the critical stage of dengue are presenting neuro-symptoms resulting in neuro-dengue. This is according to Dr Joanne Paul, head of the Paediatrics Department at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, on TV6’s Morning Edition programme. Paul and Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh, who also appeared on the programme, are again advising the public that children are at high risk for dengue and must be closely monitored for changes in symptoms.”
According to the report, the Trinidad minister reiterated that the fight against dengue involves both the government and the public. “He also reminded people to keep their surroundings clean and eliminate dengue breeding sources around their homes.”
Paul said the “difference is with the children, we are finding a lot more of the neuro symptoms, so therefore we call it neuro-dengue. “So, the children in the critical phase where they are very severe, we find they are having fainting episodes, they are confused, disoriented and they might even come with fits, so that’s where the brain is affected.”
The article reported that she explained further, “Once you understand the three ways of doing it, there is a fluid shifting, there is some bleeding or some organs like brain and kidney are being affected. So, children are having more neuro symptoms and in addition, the platelets count is dropping really fast with children.”
She then warned that children are going from the fever phase to the critical phase really fast “and once the platelet count goes down, you start to bleed, so you have to look out for that.
A Canefield family lost two children days apart in April to suspected dengue and have protested several times outside of the New Amsterdam Public Hospital calling for answers from the authorities over pathology tests.
Kumar Mohabeer, 33, of Canefield, East Canje Berbice, father of the children, Vishnu Mohabeer, also known as ‘Ricardo’, 10, and Arianna Mohabeer, 9, who died suddenly in April, had told this newspaper that despite their efforts to contact officials within the regional health authority they had not received any official word as to the cause of death of Arianna and the ongoing investigation.
Late last month the children’s mother Rehana Persaud approached Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo at one of his regional outreach and it was only after that that she was given one test result which she said the family will have to seek the help from a medical professional to comprehend.
