Q* Dengue has taken hitherto unthinkable proportions in the district this year. How serious is it?

What we see is only the tip of the iceberg. Only the serious cases are being referred to the bigger hospitals, while there might be many more who have tested positive for the virus. I think the actual figures of those affected with the disease could be three times the projected number. It is the first time the scenario has worsened so much.

Q* Why do you think it is only the tip of the iceberg?

The reason for saying so is that it is only when the platelet count of patients starts falling to a really low level that they are referred to a bigger hospital. There might be some who test positive in the serology report but have not yet reported a decreasing platelet count. The CMCH alone has registered 770 patients and 32 deaths so far.

Q* Who do you blame this on?

It is the lack of awareness among the public. Dengue has affected a large population this time. Agencies looking at disease prevention strategies need to look for ways to end the life of what I call “the royal mosquito” even before it begins. I call it the royal mosquito since about 85 per cent of the patients we have received are from urban areas. The mosquito larvae breed in places like aquatic plants in vases and coolers of houses. People should start paying utmost attention to taking preventive measures to stop larvae breeding.

Q* Talking about your field, what is the cancer scenario in the state?

The number of cancer patients is steadily increasing, with the Malwa belt producing the maximum number of cases.

Q* Where do you think CMCH stands now when it comes to facilities in cancer treatment, post the cancellation of the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) proposal?

We are going to have the same kind of facilities and services that were proposed in the RCC and they will be undertaken by our hospital administration. Thus, for the patients of cancer, there would not lack of facilities for treatment. In fact, about a dozen departments are in the process of developing into super-specialty departments while some already exist.

Q* What is the hospital doing about providing easy accessibility to the hospital, something marred by traffic congestion?