Health secretary calls for full scale war on dengue and swine flu

Talking about the recent cases of H1N1 in Tiruvallur and the subsequent death of three persons from New Gummidipoondi village and two other deaths reported from Tiruchy district, Dr Radhakrishnan advised the officials to keep a constant watch on such cases and the areas prone to such fevers. 

“Some of the vulnerable areas for dengue are Tiruvallur, Tirupattur, Melur in Madurai, Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar and Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli,” he mentioned. 

Expressing concern over the trend of several dengue patients, unknowingly, approaching quacks for treatment to their condition, he said, “This means that there has been a shortfall from the side of the healthcare providers. We need to correct that as well.” 

Another menace was the counter sale of corticosteroid drugs and medicines like ibuprofen, he added. “We also need to work closely with local bodies to create more awareness about these fevers. More so because many places may be facing water shortage and people turn to improper receptacles for storage,” he said. With regard to swine flu, he said that though the World Health Organisation (WHO) had termed it seasonal, it didn’t mean it was not virulent. 

“There shouldn’t be any delay in suspicion of swine flu, especially when there is upper respiratory tract infection and fever around this time. In a recent case in Tiruchy, the person had been to private hospitals before finally coming to government hospital and there was a considerable delay in treatment. There are 21 labs across the state, any suspicion can be ruled out without delay,” he said. 

From seeking prompt action on clearance of garbage to ensuring that there were adequate number of ventilators, besides enough stock of medicines at Primary Health Centres (PHC), he said, adding, “We have also seen cases of mixed infections, but we still need to take account of other diseases. The ones to watch out for this season also includes leptospirosis, typhoid and hepatitis,” he said.