Health Department on toes after heavy rain warning

Stressing on the need to avoid approaching quacks, Dr K Kolandaisamy, Director, Department of Public Health, said, “All Government Hospitals have been instructed to be open to all fever cases. It would, therefore, be better if patients approach government hospitals. All the government hospitals and Primary Health Centres are prepared to handle any emergency situation.”

While the government is doing all it can to prevent an outbreak like last year, it is essential that the public, too, avoid encouraging the breeding of mosquitoes in their premises, said Dr Kolandaisamy, adding, “we cannot inspect every individual house. We have also instructed all government institutions to follow the same.”

Besides, he said that all medical institutions have been instructed to send in daily reports of patients coming with fever – both outpatients and inpatients, so that the Health Department can keep a check on the cases that test positive.

Special teams of the Department have been assigned to visit areas that have been declared to be vulnerable and a higher number of fever cases are reported, he stated, adding, “We are carrying out the weekly programme of creating awareness in all schools and educational institutions on Thursdays to educate students on the steps to be taken to avoid contracting such diseases.”