Malda: With one more death of a child in suspected flu in the Malda Medical College and Hospital, the toll in the government health facility in the district went up to six in the past four days, even as health experts from Kolkata have already circulated guidelines and a team is expected to visit the district on Saturday, official sources said.
Five-month-old Najima Khatun, a resident of Kaliachak, who was admitted with symptoms of fever, breathing trouble and dry cough, succumbed to her ailments on Friday.
With the latest toll, the casualties in Malda Medical College and Hospital rose to 6 in the past four days.
Reports said hundreds of children across some districts of north Bengal have been admitted to the hospitals with symptoms of fever, breathing trouble, cough and cold.
Reports said that early this week three children died in Jalpaiguri and one in Uttar Dinajpur district.
A team of medicos from Kolkata has reached Jalpaiguri to assess the situation and assist their counterparts in north Bengal.
The expert team said the common fever and other ailments grip this time every season and gave a guideline to combat the disease.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had held a meeting this week at the SSKM Hospital on the emerging health situation.
State’s Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam said there was no reason to panic and most of the children were infected by Influenza B and RS (Respiratory Syncytial) Virus. He said that along with fever the children were suffering from other ailments too.
The State had the adequate infrastructure to deal with the situation, Mr Nigam assured. he said
