Mayor Saidai Duraisamy, on Friday, flagged off 200 autorickshaws fitted with speakers to spread awareness on prevention of dengue and swine flu.
The autos, one for each ward in the city, will go around neighbourhoods for a week with health officials spreading awareness messages.
At Friday’s council meet, Mr. Duraisamy said, “Seventy-seven persons in the city were infected with swine flu. Of these, 37 have fully recovered. One person died,” he said.
He said 2,561 persons had participated in medical camps. Relatives of infected persons too are being monitored.
About 237 Tamiflu tablets have been distributed so far.
‘Doctors reluctant to join health centres’
The Corporation council has decided to stop recruiting doctors through employment exchanges, owing to reluctance of the selected doctors to join service. The Chennai Corporation will begin recruiting young doctors through the Medical Recruitment Board.
During a recent drive to recruit 17 doctors, the civic body had received a list of 81 doctors from the employment office but only three of them participated in the interview. None of them, however, joined the Chennai Corporation.
“Most of these doctors have alternative jobs. They are reluctant to join after the completion of selection process,” said an official.
As the civic body requires 150 doctors for the revamped public health system, new doctors will be recruited shortly.
