Public Health investigates deaths of three people with dengue symptoms

Public Health authorities are investigating the deaths of two girls, and an adult admitted in the last 48 hours in public and private care centers in Santiago, allegedly with symptoms of dengue.

The deceased are Osmairy Ortíz, five, Alía Tavarez, 7, and private employee Confesor Rosario, 39.

Family members and doctors who attended them said the victims arrived with suspicion of having the mosquito-transmitted disease.

Rafael Ortíez, the father of Osmairy, said that he first took his daughter to the Juan XXIII primary care center, in the Beijing sector of this city, and then was referred to the Arturo Grullón children’s hospital, where doctors diagnosed that she suffered from dengue. He said his daughter subsequently passed away.

Public Health reacts

The provincial director of Public Health, Angela Ricardo, in statements to local media, said doctors have to respect the protocols in these types of cases.

The official explained that the reports available indicate that the girl arrived at the pediatric health center in very critical condition and that she died within hours of arrival.

However, she said that a commission from the Ministry of Public Health traveled to Santiago to analyze the case and send the sample to a laboratory to confirm if she expired due to that specific disease.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, relatives of Alía Tavárez, who lived with her parents in the community of Guayabal, Santiago, reported that she died in a private clinic and according to her family, doctors and nurses said her death was due to dengue.

Likewise, relatives of Confessor Francisco Rosario, 39, who lived in Barrio Nuevo, in the La Herradura sector, southwest of Santiago, say Rosario died in a private health center after being admitted with fever, body and headaches, and pulmonary congestion.

These two cases, like that of Osmairy Ortíz, are being investigated by the Public Health authorities.