Sayan Dey lived in the upscale satellite township of Salt Lake which has its own municipal body, separate from Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
A five-year-old boy died due to dengue in Kolkata's BC Roy Hospital on Wednesday night. He is the first dengue victim in Kolkata this year and second in West Bengal.
Sayan Dey was feverish on Friday and went to a local doctor. What medication was given and what tests suggested is not clear but on Monday he was rushed to the government-run BC Roy Hospital for Children.
On Wednesday, the family was told dengue was suspected and they should get a test done from a private lab as well. The lab confirmed "dengue reactive" in the evening. About half an hour later, Sayan died.
Teachers of five-year-old Sayan came to meet his mother this morning and were in tears. Sayan lived in the upscale satellite township of Salt Lake which has its own municipal body, separate from Kolkata Municipal Corporation. He was in nursery at a local school.
"He was such a lively child, I cannot believe that he is no more," said his class teacher, S Bhattacharya. Another teacher who lives in the Sayan's neighbourhood said, "I used to see him play in the park all the time. This is shocking. The area is mostly clean but clearly dengue is here."
Asim Bhattacharya, Sayan's uncle, was distraught. "I don't know what went wrong. He was in hospital but they couldn't save him," he said. Mr Bhattacharya confirmed that the hospital's death certificate stated dengue as cause of death.
From January 1 to September 10, 658 dengue cases were detected statewide, and one death from Nadia district. Figures have jumped in the last two weeks. Civic bodies are issuing dengue alerts and spraying and bleaching are on in most localities. But Sayan was not spared.