A six-member Central team arrived here on Friday to visit the dengue-affected areas of the district and also the patients undergoing treatment in various hospitals after being afflicted by the dreaded disease.
The Central Team members, comprising two Joint Directors, an entomologist, paediatrician, epidemiologist and others, were rushed to the district by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry after Rajya Sabha MP S. Thangavelu from Sankarankovil, one of the badly affected areas, raised the issue in the Parliament recently and handed over a memorandum to Union Health Minister Gulam Nabhi Azad in this regard.
The team members, accompanied by Director of Public Health R.T. Porkai Pandian, visited the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, where around 100 dengue patients including 50 children are now undergoing treatment, to ascertain the quality of treatment being given to them and also to examine the medical infrastructure facilities available in the hospital.
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Another team visited the dengue-hit areas of Kadayanallur, Tenkasi, Kadayam and Ambasamudram, which have lost so many lives so far to the epidemic. The team also conducted extensive investigations in the areas which are suspected to be the breeding grounds of mosquitoes spreading dengue.
“Following the representations made by MPs Mr. Thangavelu and Mr. Ramasubbu, we've been asked to visit the affected areas and the patients to ascertain the facts pertaining to the dengue outbreak in this region. We'll submit our report to the Union Ministry of Family Welfare and Public Health,” said Harish K. Chellani, team member and Senior Paediatrician, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.