Reporter’s diary: Confusion over dengue deaths riddles Health dept

In a recent media interaction, a senior official of the State Health Department said that the total number of dengue cases in Tamil Nadu was 3,200. However, while responding to a question by a journalist at the same press meet, the official stated that the number of cases was 3,400.

This has not just confused reporters but forced them to even question the authenticity of the numbers. It is to be noted that the number of deaths due to dengue remains unclear, as each official has his or her own version of the total number of deaths.

While senior government doctors on the field highlight that there were five deaths due to the fever, Health Department officials say that the death audit was in progress and the numbers can be revealed only after it was over.

Despite claims of transparency by the State Health Department in registering dengue cases, this confusion among officials has led to an unclear situation on the dengue statistics among the journalists. Moreover, the websites of the national vector-borne diseases control programme remains outdated.