TN govt to draw up monsoon health plan with local body officials next week

CHENNAI: The state health department will discuss and review action plans to control and curb the spread of monsoon-related illnesses and diseases, at an interdepartmental meeting on September 2.

Officials from the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and other departments will attend the meeting. District health officials, rural and local civic bodies representatives will also be present.

Meanwhile, assuring that the State was monitoring dengue cases ahead of the northeast monsoon which is set to commence in a few weeks, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that dengue cases are under control presently and that deaths are low in Tamil Nadu.

Recalling that the highest number of dengue deaths in the State was 66 in 2012, and 65 in 2017, the minister said since then, for four consecutive years, the number of deaths due to dengue has been only 8 or 9.

He further added that the state health department has sent circulars to private hospitals to monitor dengue cases and ensure that the mortality remains low. Private hospitals have also been asked to report dengue cases.

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Subramanian however warned that with the onset of the monsoon, waterlogging would be likely in several areas, and mosquito breeding would occur. Hence, civic bodies are continuously carrying out mosquito breeding checks, he noted.

Flooding in several parts of the State last year had led to a surge in the cases of fever and dengue. Monsoon camps were organised by the Health Department to provide immediate medical care to the affected people. Similar measures would be implemented this time around as well, in case of flooding in any locality, the minister added.