A total of 2,566 persons in the State were afflicted with dengue fever and 36 succumbed to the disease, according to the Health Department. Similarly, 204 persons in the State have so far been infected with A (H1N1) and five had so far died of the infection.
The announcement followed a review meeting by Health Minister V.S. Vijay with Health Department officials, including Principal Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, Director of Public Health Porkai Pandian, Chennai Mayor Saidai S. Doraisamy and Director of Medical Education C. Vamsadhara.
The government has allotted Rs.2.5 crore, and surveys have been conducted in areas where deaths due to dengue were reported.
Officials from various municipal agencies and other departments have been roped in to contain the spread of the disease.
Chennai Corporation's health officials have advised people to remove tyres, unused pots, buckets, coconut shells and plastic cups to prevent the breeding of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which cause dengue. Hospitals have been advised to provide patients with mosquito nets.
The civic body has instructed that water containers be covered and cleaned every week using bleaching powder. The Corporation has warned of action against violators.
The Corporation has also planned to conduct training programmes for private medical practitioners, resident welfare associations, and school and college students.
Isolation wards have been set up in the Communicable Diseases Hospital at Tondiarpet, Chennai, and in all district headquarters and teaching medical college hospitals in the State to admit persons reporting with A (H1N1).
A release further added that there are enough supplies of medicines with the government. A dedicated 24-hour helpline (044-24350496) has also been instituted.
