Dengue control measures to be strengthened

Chennai: In spite of various efforts undertaken by the state health department to control dengue, the number of cases has been on a surge. Tamil Nadu reported 6,515 dengue cases and 15 deaths until this year, the number of cases has increased threefold from the total number of 2,531 cases and 5 deaths reported last year.

Taking the situation into consideration, the state health department is to strengthen the dengue control measures. Health minister C. Vijayabaskar is monitoring patients by regular visits to hospitals and has issued guidelines to all government hospitals to control dengue cases.

Health secretary J. Radhakrishnan said that hospitals have been asked to set up dengue clinics and distribute Nilavembu Kasayam, a Siddha medicine for all dengue patients and their attendees. Mosquito nets, treated and boiled drinking water and ORS solutions for the patients in the fever wards of hospitals has been made compulsory.

“Government hospitals were instructed to treat all cases of severe and suspected fever as dengue unless it is proved not to be a dengue. Patients should get treated only by qualified doctors, preferably government institutions. Siddha doctors were instructed to refrain from treating dengue cases. Daily report on the dengue is being obtained from all government hospitals,” said health department officials.

The department has deployed trained field staff to carry out inspection and source reduction on a large scale at district and village level, in coordination with the corporation.

“Public spots have been asked for aides-free zone certifications, along with the regular domestic breeding inspection. We started an awareness campaign in schools and carried out rallies to check stagnation and distributed oral medication,” said T. Srinivasan, health education officer, Greater Chennai Corporation.