Two sisters in hospital hours after mom dies of dengue in Kolkata

KOLKATA: The two daughters of Behala homemaker Poli Banerjee, who died during treatment for dengue early on Friday, were admitted to hospital that night itself. While elder daughter 13-year-old Purnasa’s blood reports confirmed dengue, reports of the younger one, Prusari (9), who is also down with fever, were yet to come. But shaken by his wife’s death, Prithvi Raj Banerjee decided to hospitalize both the girls to ensure proper medical care.
“My wife’s condition deteriorated fast and sharp.After the loss, I can’t afford to take any risk with my daughters. I admitted them to CMRI Hospital on Friday night. They are unwell and under huge mental trauma,” said Banerjee, who works at an IT firm.
Purnasa, a national-level rower and a state champion was hospitalized briefly on Thursday night around the time her mother was battling for life. But she was taken home after her mother died. Prusari, a swimmer, has been down with fever since Friday.
Poli died at BP Poddar Hospital within a few hours of receiving the dengue confirmation report. The 39-year-old from Behala’s Panchanantala Road had been down with fever since Sunday. She went for the dengue-confirmation test at KMC’s health centre at Ward 131, a few blocks from her home, on Tuesday. The report was supposed to be sent to the family through a text message on Wednesday but it came only on Thursday. The family rued that had it not been for the delay, Poli might have received timely medical care. The KMC has, however, not yet counted Poli’s a dengue death, claiming it will first check her medical records before coming to a conclusion.
“They have sent my elder daughter’s blood reports on time, but my younger daughter’s report has not arrived. It is better to keep them under a doctor’s care,” said Banerjee.
Banerjee’s home falls in Ward 131—the councillor is former mayor Sovan Chatterjee —which has been under the grip of dengue. Many have reportedly been down with dengue or unconfirmed fever. Locals alleged the civic body had not done enough to tackle the mosquito menace. “Many here are suffering from dengue and fever. The corporation has not taken enough measures or the problem would not have assumed such a proportion,” a local said.