North Chennai hot spot for fever cases, officials call it usual trend

The Institute of Child Health has admitted 91 patients with fever, while the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital has 71 cases. “There are 9 dengue patients in both the hospitals,” said hospital authorities. According to hospital authorities, all the cases that come to the Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital and Government Kilpauk Medical College are either from North Chennai or Tiruvallur. “Most of the cases are among children. The patients are being treated symptomatically and are stable,” said Dr Ramesh, Resident Medical Officer at Stanley Medical College and Hospital.

Maintaining that the incidence of large number of dengue cases from North Madras was a usual trend after rains, officials said it was due to the larger number of vectors and mosquito breeding in these areas. Water stagnation after the recent rains and unhygienic condition there promoted mosquito breeding, said doctors.

After more cases started coming in, fever clinics have been started at the city governmenthospitals, which have dedicated staff for distribution of fluids on hourly basis, trained para medical staff for regular blood tests.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media after visiting Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Tuesday, Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Dharmapuri and Cuddalore have a high number of fever cases. However, there were sufficient cell counters and the condition of the patients would not turn critical if proper protocol was followed, he added. Currently, none are in critical stage, the Minister said.

The number of people affected by dengue and other fevers has increased in the past one month despite efforts by the State Health Department to prevent dengue cases in the State.