Following the visit of a Central team, Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey arrived in the city on Sunday to take stock of the health crisis that has gripped the State due to the dengue outbreak.
After an interaction with Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, he visited the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and inspected the fever wards there.
Taken around the wards by the hospital officials, he said the hospital, attached to the Madras Medical College, had the required facilities to treat patients.
“In this hospital, there are now 257 patients admitted for fever and 76 persons have been diagnosed as positive for dengue,” Mr. Choubey said.
‘Will examine request’
In his interaction with the media later, he said: “We will seriously examine the State’s request for ₹256 crore from the Centre for dengue control measures. The aim is ‘Dengue bhagao, Tamil Nadu bachao’ (Chase away dengue, save Tamil Nadu).” He also said there have been 40 deaths so far due to dengue and 80 more deaths due to fevers other than dengue in the State.
“A team [from Central government] had come to the State and it will return from Puducherry to Chennai again on Monday,” he added.