A six-member committee from New Delhi will study the dengue situation at Sankarankoil and Tirunelveli on Friday and Saturday and submit a report to the Centre, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S. Gandhiselvan said here on Thursday.
He told reporters that the committee was formed following requests from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
“The team will meet the affected persons, study the reason behind the prevalence of dengue and submit a report with recommendations to check its spread,” he said.
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The Centre was ready to provide medicines and other assistance if the State government made a representation stating the requirements.
Asked if the steps taken by the State government to treat persons affected by dengue and to control its spread were satisfactory, Mr. Gandhiselvan said it would be known only after going through the report. Former minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna, who visited some of the affected areas two days ago, said that the Health Minister should call for an urgent meeting with doctors and adopt a protocol for treating dengue, as suggested by the Indian Association of Paediatricians.
“The next step would be to have a gram sabha meeting with health care workers to create awareness among public about dengue,” she said.
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