Deaths caused by diphtheria are refusing to subside as three more children succumbed to the highly infectious disease at North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) run Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital. With this, the toll this year has risen to 57 so far out of which 56 belong to the civic hospital.
“As far as the NMC run hospital is concerned, around 200 patients of diphtheria were admitted in the month of September and 8 more, one from Delhi and 7 from other states were admitted between Monday and Tuesday. Out of these 8 new admissions, 3 have been declared dead,” said a senior NMC official.
Out of the three fresh deaths, 1 patient belonged to Delhi while two belonged to other states, he added.
The status report released by the corporation reveals that 62 patients are presently being treated in the wards of the hospital.
According to the report, the total number of deaths taken place in the month of September and October so far is 29 out of which 28 have been reported in the hospital. One death took place at Delhi government run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital in the month of September. Among the 28 deaths recorded at the hospital, 6 victims belonged to Delhi while 22 belonged to the other states, the report stated.
