CHENNAI: A 48-year-old man from Kancheepuram district died of rabies on Saturday. The person who was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital died at Rajapalayam within a day of leaving the hospital without informing it.
According to official sources, M Sekar (48) was running a provision store at Agaram village. He was bitten by a stray dog a year ago. He ignored the bite and did not get vaccine. After a year, he started showing symptoms of rabies. He initially went to Government headquarters hospital at Kancheepuram. After blood test, he was referred to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital the same day.
Within two hours of admission in RGGGH, the family members took him home without informing the hospital.
“He came with symptoms of dog bite. After admission, within two hours the patient absconded. Even a case had been registered in RGGGH,” said R Jayanthi, Dean of the hospital.
According to doctors, the family decided to leave after they were informed by the doctors that, after death, the body would not be handed over to them. “We told them what had to be told,” said Jayanthi.
S Ramganesh, Deputy director of health services, Sivakasi, said that the Corporation will do the cremation as there is possibility of the infection spreading to the people who come in contact with the infected person’s body fluids. “Sekar died around 5.30 am. The family brought him to Rajapalayam as they didn’t want the officials to know about it. But, we came to know from health officers from Kancheepuram, as the family had informed about his death to the neighbours.”
