Eight more quacks were arrested in different parts of the district, taking the total to 20 on Monday. Following dengue deaths reported in the district, the official machinery had swung into action for the last five days. Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar and senior officials including Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan were camping to oversee the clean up operation.
A number of steps to contain mosquitoes were being taken in Rajapalayam Municipality.
According to the officials, a three-member team of experts from Kings Institute, Chennai had arrived to examine the reasons for the spreading of the virus which claimed 18 lives. Similarly, Dr. Vijaybaskar said that Rajapalayam GH had been provided with state-of-the art testing equipment with which Elisa tests could be done. When the Minister visited the GH, public complained to him that the doctors directed them to go either to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital or Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital for treatment, whenever they rushed there with mysterious fever. The Minister assured them that it would not be the case as adequate doctors and paramedical staff had been posted. Despite the death of 18 persons, many roadside eateries continued to sell eatables to the public in an unhygienic environment.
In a bid to assess the situation, the Health Minister went around Rajapalayam on a two-wheeler without informing any of his aides on Sunday and ordered the Food Safety officials to carry out inspections. As many as nine teams simultaneously visited 662 shops, hotels, roadside eateries in Rajapalayam, Virudhunagar, Sattur, Aruppukottai and Tiruthangal and found that most of them were unaware of cleanliness.
While the officials took an undertaking from the hoteliers that they would keep the surroundings clean, the officials issued notices to 17 hotels as the upkeep was far from satisfactory.
