30-year-old first to die of malaria in Delhi this year

New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) A 30-year-old man was the first victim here to die of the vector-borne disease malaria this year, authorities said.

Praveen Sharma was admitted to the Max super specialty hospital in east Delhi on August 28 following high fever and weakness. Tests conducted at the hospital confirmed Malaria.

Sharma, who initially underwent treatment at the Max hospital, was referred to the Safdarjung Hospital after his condition deteriorated on September 2.

The patient was kept in the Intensive Care Unit after being shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital.

According to the doctors, Sharma succumbed to the disease on Sunday night even after undergoing proper medication.

"On the very first day itself, the hospital confirmed that my son was suffering from malaria. Doctors tried but could not save him," Praveen’s father Rewati Prasad Sharma told IANS.

According to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), the number of malaria cases was constantly rising here.

Delhi has so far witnessed 711 dengue cases this year, while the number of chikungunya cases was 560. Four deaths have been recorded due to dengue this year.

Delhi had last year recorded 60 dengue deaths with the total number of cases recorded at 15,896.