Union minister apprised of steps taken to tackle dengue in Tamil Nadu

In a meeting at his residence here, Chief Minister K Palaniswami briefed the union minister on the measures put in place to control the spread of the vector-borne disease and also handed over a copy of the state's request for the financial aid.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, Principal Secretary Health Department J Radhakrishnan and Chief Secretary Girija Vaidayanathan were also present at the meeting.

"We requested him to sanction Rs 256 crore and he has (Choubey) said that the central government will consider it," Vijayabaskar told reporters.

He said that the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare was on a brief visit to the state to assess the situation.

The union minister also interacted with doctors, patients and attenders at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital and visited the special dengue wards, the Tamil Nadu Health minister said.

On an AIIMS for Tamil Nadu, Vijayabaskar quoted the Union minister as having said there would be "good news" in six months on setting up the institute in the state and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take part in its ground breaking ceremony.

On October 13, a five-member central team deputed to assess the dengue situation in the state had termed the 40 deaths since January due to the fever as "minimal" and had said there was no need to panic.

During discussions, the state government had sought Rs 256 crore from the Centre to enhance dengue control activities.

Meanwhile, the team today visited neighbouring Puducherry to take stock of the situation in the Union Territory.

They held discussions with Puducherry Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao, Local Administration Minister A Namassivayam, Chief Secretary Manoj Parida and officials of the health department.

The team visited the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and some other health institutions, including peripheral health centres, besides interacting with patients.

Team head and Joint Director of the National Virus Borne Disease Control Programme Kalpana Baruah told reporters that the number of dengue cases in Puducherry and southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka was more this year when compared to previous years.

There was every need for community participation to effectively control dengue. "The role of the community is imperative although the health and other link departments were tackling the situation," she said.

Baruah said that the central government was sensitising state governments regularly and added that the Union Health minister had himself written to chief ministers on action to be taken to curb dengue.

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi thanked the Centre for sending the team.

"Thank GOI for accepting my request to send a Central team to assess Dengue sttus in Puducherry & guide us", she tweeted.