Within a week after the death of a young girl belonging to Thogamalai, another nine-year-old girl died in Karur district on Tuesday. Officials attributed the death to viral fever.
The name of the victim was given as K. Abi (9) of Kosur village in Kadavur taluk. He was suffering from acute fever and died at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi on Tuesday after being admitted to the hospital on Sunday.
She was treated at the Government Hospital in Karur for three days from January 22. She was studying class 3 in a government school.
Angry residents and relatives of Abi laid siege to an ambulance that carried the body of her to Kosur from Tiruchi, claiming that medical negligence was the reason for her death. They refused to receive the body, demanding an explanation from Health Department officials.
Citing the incidents of earlier deaths in and around the village, the protesters said they could have been saved if they were provided with quality medical care. They demanded a Primary Health Centre at Kosur.
On information, the police, revenue, and health officials rushed to the spot and held several rounds of negotiation. The protest was withdrawn after about three hours following an assurance that a temporary PHC would be set up soon at the village.
This is said to be the sixth death because of acute fever over the last few weeks in Kadavur taluk.
At least three of them were suspected to have died of dengue. Similarly, a large number of fever cases had been reported from Kosur village, where a special medical camp was functioning since the second week of January.
Deputy Director of Health Nalini told The Hindu that as per the preliminary report, Abi died because of “viral fever”. The exact cause of death would be ascertained shortly.
While stating that there was an outbreak of viral fever in a few villages of Kadavur taluk, she said 18 persons tested positive for dengue from the areas attached to the Panjapatty medical block since January 1. Additional manpower had been deployed in the vulnerable villages from different parts of the district.
Ms. Nalini said the areas were under constant surveillance over the last three weeks. The priority was to destroy breeding grounds of dengue spreading mosquitoes.
Medical teams were working in the affected villages to check the spread of dengue. As many as 100 workers and volunteers had been involved in source detection and destroying exercise. Door-to-door surveillance had been stepped up in affected villages.
“Nilavembu Kashayam”, which is a notified Indian Siddha Medicine, was being supplied to all residents in vulnerable villages.
This is the sixth fever-related death in the last few weeks in Kadavur taluk
Large number of fever cases reported from Kosur village
