TN on war footing to prevent an epidemic

With Tamil Nadu ravaged by North East monsoon, authorities have gone on a war-footing to avert any major epidemic by setting up medical camps in the rain-hit areas where 55,000 people have already been examined. In Chennai, 199 medical camps have been held besides 17 mobile camps with 36,040 persons having been screened so far, a top TN Govt health official told PTI. Several additional medical camps have been set up in low-lying areas where people are stranded in their houses or in relief camps.

Measures have been taken to ensure prevention of outbreak of infections and diseases and over 55,000 people have been screened in medical camps in badly hit Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram Districts. At Kancheepuram, over 11,000 persons have been screened through 106 medical camps and 9,372 persons benefited in 89 camps held in Tiruvallur. Also, 402 mobile medical units are on the job in the state .

Such mobile camps are held by using 770 jeeps. Also, 67 people have been admitted with fever symptoms at the newly opened special wards at the government hospitals. Officials said a number of people were getting treatment as out-patients in the ward. The special ward at the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital is a 48-bed facility that is monitored round the clock. About 43 persons were admitted here for fever while 10 were admitted to Royapettah hospital and eight were admitted in Kilpauk General hospital while six were taken to Stanley Medical Center. There are more than 250 doctors deployed in these special fever wards in government hospitals all over the Tamil Nadu.