There is panic in the city with hundreds of patients testing positive for dengue fever at the local Civil Hospital. The total number of confirmed dengue cases in the district has risen to 241, with 202 from Bathinda city alone.The Talwandi Sabo block has reported 25 cases, the Goniana block six cases, the Sangat block four cases and the Nathana and Bhagta blocks two cases each.

The district health authorities have called doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians from the neighbouring districts to assist the doctors at the Civil Hospital here. Satish Goyal, SMO, said three medical officers and three pharmacists had arrived at the Civil Hospital from Sangrur district, two medical officers, three nurses and two labtechnicians from Barnala district and five pharmacists, two nurses and three lab technicians from Mansa district.

The residents blame the Bathinda Municipal Corporation for have ‘failed’ to carry out fogging in several areas of the city.

Some NGOs have extended support to the civic body in the fogging operations with the municipal corporation providing three fogging machines with drivers and machine operators for the purpose.