The first death due to A (H1N1) infection in June was reported in the city on Sunday. A 49-year-old man who was shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Sunday from Apollo Hospital succumbed to the infection. According to hospital authorities the patient was on ventilator support and was in a serious condition. With this, five persons have died of the infection since it was first reported in April.
Despite daytime temperature hovering around 40 degrees over the past few days, infectious diseases have raised their ugly head. The city's health facilities have been regularly reporting cases of dengue.
Till May 28, a total of 130 persons reported with dengue fever.
Between May 28 and June 9 for which statistics were made available to The Hindu , 22 more persons had contracted the virus, bringing the total number of persons infected to 152. According to city health officer P. Kuganantham none of those who had the fever had complications.
He said the infection is limited to four zones so far: Royapuram (zone 5), Teynampet (09), Kodambakkam (10) and Adyar (13).
While the civic authorities maintain that there is nothing to be worried about, residents are not convinced. N.S. Srinivasan, a resident of Mylapore, said, “I live on Bhakthavatchalam Road, which is supposed to be a posh area. But the trench dug more than two years ago near my flat has not yet been covered.”
He said it had resulted in his wife having a severe attack of dengue.
“She is not free from the side effects of the fever even now. The members of the residents' association of this building made several representations to the authorities concerned, and they also met the Commissioner of the Corporation. Unfortunately, no action has been so far taken to close this trench,” Dr. Srinivasan stated in his letter to The Hindu .
“The residents of our building are dreading the onset of the next monsoon,” he added.
