Dengue cases going unreported

NST: PUTRAJAYA: Doctors in clinics are reluctant to notify the government of dengue cases, judging from the fact that only two per cent of reports of cases come from private clinics.
Health Department director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said such an attitude could lead to patients dying because doctors at clinics did not want to take responsibility but passed the buck to hospitals.
"This reflects the reluctance to take charge, and passing the responsibility to hospitals is probably to get them to provide the serological confirmation."
The phenomenon baffles Dr Ismail when the number of cases was increasing every year, with 112 deaths reported last year.
The national dengue mortality review revealed that 47.4 per cent of the patients who died were sent to hospitals at a very late stage of their illness, while a quarter of dengue deaths occurred within 24 hours of hospitalisation.
"There are no repercussions for the doctors if they notify the cases. I just don't know why they don't do it.
"In fact, there is only a positive effect. The ministry will immediately carry out fogging exercise in the victim's area," Dr Ismail said after launching the second revision of the Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Management of Dengue Infection in Adults, here, yesterday.
The guidelines focus on management of the dengue infection from the early stages to intensive care.
The guidelines, which will be distributed to health practitioners dealing with dengue, outlines basic symptoms of the infection without having to rely solely on platelet counts.
Dr Ismail urged the public not to leave the prevention and control measures to the government since 80 per cent of dengue cases occurred at homes.
"It only takes 10 minutes a week to ensure that there is no stagnant water and to overturn containers which may be potential Aedes breeding ground.
"The public cannot depend on the local councils to fog their areas. They must do their part."