Coimbatore-based Hani Harrise, 21, was diagnosed with dengue in August 2015. His platelet count dropped to 40,000. Platelet count between 150,000 and 450,000 for every microlitre of blood is considered healthy. “I was hospitalized for 10 days because the situation was severe. I didn’t have health insurance, so we ended up spending around ₹28,000 for my treatment," said Harrise. Fortunately for Harrise, his family was able to absorb the unforeseen cost, but that might not be true for many.
According to data from National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), the number of dengue cases rose to 188,401 in 2017 from less than 60,000 in 2009. The mosquito-borne disease killed 325 people in 2017. Till September last year, 83 people had lost their lives to dengue in India.
