As dengue cases surge, Union Health Ministry asks TN to intensify control measures

CHENNAI: As the cases of dengue and fever cases have seen a rise, the Union Health Ministry recently held a review meeting with the senior officials from the state health department.

The officials have asked to step up the vigil on the fever cases and keep blood components and platelets available in adequate quantities in the healthcare facilities.

Close to 6,000 cases of dengue have been reported in Tamil Nadu since January 1, 2024.

The state health department officials are carrying out special activities to prevent a dengue outbreak in the State. Every week one activity is being held every Thursday including the tyre removal campaign, Aedes free campaign in schools and colleges, government and private hospitals, Primary Health Centers and other government buildings.

The district officials have been instructed to carry out mass cleaning and remove all waste materials including breeding potential sources for Aedes mosquitoes.

The Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr T S Selvavinayagam said that Tamil Nadu is witnessing more number of cases in Coimbatore, Chennai and Krishnagiri.

The rains are also causing the surge in the incidence of dengue across the State. It is due to the density of the population that more cases of dengue are being reported in urban areas, especially Chennai.

As the neighbouring States have seen fever cases and dengue outbreaks, the officials say that Krishnagiri is seeing a spike as it is a bordering district with Karnataka, which is currently reporting outbreaks of dengue. Similarly, Coimbatore can be witnessing a surge due to Western Ghats.

The department is conducting medical camps as a precautionary measure. DPH has instructed that the areas that are Mosquito Pool Positive should be given priority as they have high Aedes index and medical camps should be conducted to ensure immediate treatment upon confirmed positive cases.

Appropriate treatments should be given for the symptomatic cases. Intensive door to door surveillance to be carried out to detect any suspect cases of Dengue or Flu like illness etc.,

The medical and para-medical staff have also been instructed to participate in Gram sabha meeting on independence day and sensitise the community in prevention of communicable diseases such as Dengue, ADD and Typhoid.

The Health inspectors at PHC level have also been asked to actively participate and disseminate the information on safe water drinking and water chlorination along with the panchayat president.