Quacks in districts make a ‘killing’ with dengue

Following a tip off, Tiruchy Collector K Rajamani instructed the health department to conduct a detailed investigation and take action against the quacks. Subsequently, a team of health officials, including Joint Director (Rural Health) Dr Samsad Begam, District Siddha medical officer Dr S Kamaraj and Revenue department officials along with police, conducted a raid at Thuvarankurichi and arrested five quacks. 

The crackdown in northern districts, which was now being expanded to other parts of the state, was necessitated as quacks were making a killing on patients utilising the dengue crisis in the State. 

Sadly, many people were falling prey to the quacks as they charged a meagre amount. As the trend was rampant in Tiruvannamalai, that district became the first and prime target of the crackdown. According to official records, until the month of August, action was taken against 175 persons alleging to be doctors. “This year, action has been taken against over 200 quacks,” said an official from the Directorate of Rural and Health Services (DMS) K Kamalakannan. “On October 21, we nabbed 12 quacks in Tiruvannamalai. Recently, a couple from Chennai was also caught after a woman who consulted them died.” 

During his inspection in Tiruvannamalai district, Health Minister Dr C Vijaya Baskar interacted with a few patients in the fever ward at the Government Medical College. A woman told him that she had been treated by a quack near her residence before being brought to the Medical College Hospital, said Kamalakannan. 

On his instructions, three teams comprising five members each conducted a raid for over 12 hours and nabbed 12 quacks. With the problem looming large, health officials are urging the public to be very careful about who they approach for treatment. “Despite spreading out sufficient health services, they are still thriving. Even if they are arrested, they come out on bail. We are, therefore, taking the history of the patient’s health – and finding out where they went before getting admitted to Government Hospital – in an attempt to track quacks,” said Dr K Kolandaisamy, Director, Department of Public Health.

A senior official of the Salem Steel Plant succumbed to dengue in Salem district on Saturday. According to police, Jagadeesh Prasad (55), an assistant general manager at the steel plant was down with fever a week ago. As he was diagnosed with dengue, Jagadeesh was admitted to a private hospital in Ammapet. Despite treatment, his condition worsened and he succumbed to dengue on Saturday morning.

A 25-year-old youth died of suspected swine flu at Tirunelveli GH, on Saturday. The deceased identified as Ponmani (25), from Mavadikal village near Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli district, had been working as a daily wage earner at Punalur in Kerala. As he was suffering from fever for the past one week, he was sent back to his native village on Friday. Since his health condition worsened, he was immediately rushed to Tirunelveli GH. Upon testing, doctors informed his family that he had symptoms of swine flu and stared the treatment for the same. However, in the early hours of Saturday Ponmani died at the hospital