Mysuru: A girl’s death due to suspected dengue was a final wake-up call for the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), college management and the district health officers to act and clean the surroundings of the Maharani’s College Girl’s Hostel. While the MCC began cleaning of weeds in the hostel premises this morning, health officials sent a team of doctors to the hostel to examine students who were down with fever.

Twenty-year-old Sanchitha S. Aradhya, a Second B.Sc student of Maharani’s Science College, died yesterday following high fever. She hailed from Periyapatna and was the daughter of Shanthakumar. Though she was admitted to JSS Hospital, she battled for life for over a week and died yesterday noon.

As the news of the death spread, students staged protests, demanding basic facilities. They also accused their hostel warden Latha of misappropriating funds and harassing the students. The college authorities have now replaced Latha and brought in Mahadevaswamy in her place.

A team of MCC workers arrived at the hostel campus opposite the college on the JLB Road this morning and began cleaning of Parthenium and weeds that had grown all over the campus. They also began fogging to prevent mosquito breeding. There are two hostels on the campus that are shared by Science and Arts College students.

Apart from cleaning, three tankers of water has been poured to sumps inside the hostel and the authorities of Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW) have collected water samples. According to VVWW officials, the water supplied across the city had standard chlorine levels and there was less chances of water carrying viruses.

Two doctors and three nurses were deputed by the District Health Officer to examine the students of the hostel. They collected blood samples of all students and found that seven students were down with fever. Students have been asked to immediately report to the doctors if they had fever and headache.

MCC authorities and the college management have assured the students that water sumps will be cleaned twice a year.

NOT DENGUE BUT BRAIN FEVER

District Vector Borne Diseases Control Officer Dr. S. Chidambara said Sanchitha might have died due to brain fever. “We have tested the samples and have examined the case sheet and there are no traces of dengue. She had fever earlier and it was neglected and the fever spread o the brain,” he told Star of Mysore. In 2017, 49 dengue cases were reported in Mysuru, he added.

LABS CHARGE MORE

Several patients who go to test dengue symptoms at laboratories are reportedly charged anywhere between Rs. 500 to Rs. 2,000 per test. When this issue was brought before District Health Officer Dr. B. Basavaraju, he advised the patients to go to government hospitals where tests are conducted free of cost.