Chennai Corporation officials start anti-larval measures

Sources said Daniel, studying at a private school, was rushed to a private nursing home at Cheput on Friday with complaints of vomiting. He succumbed on Tuesday morning even before the results of his blood sample, which his relatives claimed tested positive for Dengue, came out. His sister studying in sixth standard has been taking treatment for fever at the hospital since two days.

In the case of Kanish who was rushed to a private clinic with symptoms of fever on November 5, the paediatrician who attended on him, upon receiving the blood report on November 5, referred the baby to the Child Trust Hospital, for further treatment.

According to Corporation officials, the paediatrician initially treated the kid for a viral fever while referring a private lab to run further tests on the victim.

“The private lab returned with the test results after three days and on November 8, the baby was referred to the Child Trust Hospital,” said a health official. “But the Trust wanted to run the test on the baby and it returned both Igm, Igg and NS1 positive. But by then, it was too late,” the official added. The boy is said to have experienced severe shock and fits throughout its period of stay at the hospital.

“The chances of recovery were slim after the child entered the third stage, subsequently. We needed at least five days to fight the antigen. But by the fourth day, the child started haemorrhaging in the head and it was beyond our hands,” the official said. The child succumbed to dengue on Wednesday afternoon at the hospital. “The baby was also often taken to his grandparents' home at Parrys. So, we have dispatched a team to conduct fogging and other activities there too,”the official added.

Officials, however, were wary when asked if action would be taken on the doctor for failing to inform the state health authorities immediately on a suspected case of dengue fever. “He thought it was viral fever. The doctor is a qualified practitioner and not any quack,” was the response from a Corporation official.

With a view to popularise the Kashayam (juice) and as a preventive medicine, it is being freely supplied to people and children visiting the Rajah Mirasudhar government hospital at Thanjavur. Special wards have also been created at the Thanjavur Medical College hospital (TMCH) and the Rajah Mirasudhar government hospital (RMH). The ward at TMCH has 48 beds, while the one at RMH has 25 beds. However, no one has been admitted so far with dengue symptoms or fever at these hospitals.

“But we are ready to treat dengue patients. At the same time we give importance to prevention,” said M. Singaravedlu, dean, TMCH. The Collector said that as this is the rainy season, people should take precautionary measures against dengue. Severe fever, pain at the back of the eyes, dry throat, pain in joints, change in taste, bleeding in gum and teeth are some of the symptoms of dengue, he said.

Spread by the ‘Aedes and Egypti mosquitoes’, the viral fever could prove fatal if not treated properly. People should keep the environs clean. Water should not be allowed to stagnate in buildings, its surroundings, empty bottles, tyres, polytehene bags, coconut shells, egg shells, etc. The mosquitoes causing dengue thrive in clean water. They bite in daytime. The corporation, municipalities, town panchayats and panchayats have been asked to remove garbage regularly, keep water tanks clean and remove stagnant water in their areas, the collector said.