The government will hold a high level conference on Monday to chart out further measures to contain the dengue fever, leptospirosis and other diseases spreading all over the State at a fast rate.
About 20 deaths have already been reported from different parts of the State and measures to contain the spread of the diseases have not yet shown much result. The situation is compounded by the non-cooperation agitation began by government doctors on Saturday. At least three deaths were reported on Saturday.
Minister for Health V. S. Sivakumar criticised the agitation by doctors over “minor issues” when incidence of fever was on the rise. The government was willing for talks.
In a statement here, the Minister said that all government health care institutions from primary health centres to medical colleges were equipped to treat patients with fever. Action had been taken to appoint additional hands and extend the services of temporary hands.
Arrangements have been made to ensure sufficient supply of blood platelets to taluk in Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam districts from where the highest incidence of dengue fever had been reported. Earlier, that kind of treatment was available only in district and medical college hospitals.
Mr. Sivakumar said that he was conducting meetings in all districts to review the situation. Monitoring cells were functioning at State and district levels.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party have called for action on a war-footing to check the spread of the diseases.
Criticising inaction of the government, CPI noted that lakhs of persons had been afflicted with fever in the State while the ruling Front engaged busy with infighting. Customary cleaning operations before the monsoon had not been done properly this year.
