Fever claims 80 lives in Mumbai, Thane

Over 80 people have died of fever due to water-borne diseases in the metropolis and neighbouring Thane district of Maharashtra after the July 26 heavy rains, and over thousand were undergoing treatment at various hospitals, even as a central team has arrived to review the situation, official sources said here today.

Over 40 persons with fever died in the metropolis, while it has claimed 48 lives in neighbouring Kalyan and Dombivili, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation sources said.

Dr Y E Yeolekar, dean of Sion hospital, where several patients were admitted said, although the flow of patients with fever is continuing, the severity of the symptoms has become mild.

There were two patterns among the patients"" while most appear to have mild to moderate illness, very few have severe illness with complications, he added.

In addition to cases of fever, hundreds of people from Thane, Kalwa, Mumbra, Kalyan and Dombivali were also hospitalised for diarrhoea and dysentery.

Municipal hospitals here and in thane district have created special fever wards and the kem hospital has put 178 extra beds to accomodate new patients, according to its dean Dr Nilima Kshirsagar.

Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was visiting patients at V N Desai and Bhaba Hospitals in western suburbs to inquire about their health.

Meanwhile, a central team has arrived here to review the situation, state health secretary office sources said.