Three children from Thaalarkulam near Mukkudal tested positive for dengue at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TVMCH) on Tuesday. Ever since the children from the village were admitted to the TVMCH with suspected symptoms of dengue, the Department of Public Health termed it only a “mysterious fever”. Even after two of the seven children afflicted with the “mysterious fever” died, the officials reiterated that it was due to “brain haemorrhage” and never disclosed the reason for the haemorrhage.
Against this backdrop, nine more children from Thaalaarkulam were admitted to the TVMCH in the past one week with symptoms of dengue. Deputy Director of Department of Public Health Ram Ganesh on Tuesday admitted that three children, who were undergoing treatment at the TVMCH, tested positive for dengue. “Though nine children from Thaalaarkulam had been admitted to the hospital with symptoms of dengue, six of them have been completely cured and shifted from the special ward to the general ward. Now, three children are undergoing treatment for dengue,” Dr. Ram Ganesh noted.
He also admitted on Tuesday evening that one of the two deceased – Rijo and Abraham from Thaalaarkulam – had died of dengue. He had on Saturday claimed that the boys had died of “haemorrhage in brain”.
Though the Department of Public Health officials claimed that anti-dengue operations had been intensified at Thaalaarkulam, the admission of a fresh dengue case has disproved their assertions. Collector M. Karunakaran visited the village on Monday and inspected the anti-dengue operations after hearing the villagers who levelled several allegations against the officials.
Theongoing anti-dengue operation has created awareness among the people living in and around Thaalaarkulam and the outbreak has been contained within the village.
