Siliguri mayor Goutam Deb met the relatives of a nine-year-old girl, who died from dengue at a private hospital in Siliguri on Sunday.

Mayor Deb was clearly taken aback by the situation. He, along with other officials including deputy mayor Ranjan Sarkar, spoke to the mother of the minor girl.

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Jayna Khatun, the victim, had been experiencing fever for the past three days. After being admitted at a private healthcare facility, her blood tests revealed that she had tested positive for dengue. Additionally, her platelet count had come down below 10,000.

The mother pleaded with the mayor to ensure that the town remains clean and to monitor areas with stagnant water, which are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

“As a grieving mother, I am unable to express my thoughts fully but I implore the corporation to keep a close watch on these unhygienic locations in order to spare other parents from enduring the same pain as me,” she said.

The recent death of a child owing to dengue in Siliguri has caused significant worry and fear among the residents.

The child, who lived in the Swaminagar area of ward 7 had been suffering from fever for several days before the Dengue NS1 test confirmed the diagnosis. Despite being admitted to a nursing home on Saturday, the child’s health continued to decline and their platelet count dropped below 10,000. Despite receiving platelet treatment, the child ultimately succumbed to the illness on Sunday.

This tragedy sparked concern throughout the city and many are expressing their dissatisfaction with the lack of accurate information being provided by the Siliguri Municipal Corporation regarding dengue cases.

The community is also frustrated with the state of their surroundings, as piles of garbage and stagnant monsoon water have created ideal breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Residents are urging the corporation to take swift action to prevent further deaths from occurring in their city.

Following the death of Jayna Khatun, Mr Deb has launched an effort to address the issue of dengue in the corporation area.