Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar on Tuesday said fever cases usually peaked during September to December every year and there was no abnormal rise in fever cases as of now. However, the government hospitals in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore and Dharmapuri districts were admitting persons reporting with fever and they were being monitored effectively.
At present, the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) was treating 71 persons with fever. Nine of them had dengue symptoms. The Institute of Child Health had 91 patients with fever and nine with dengue symptoms, he told reporters after inspecting the fever ward at RGGGH on Tuesday. “None of the persons undergoing treatment for fever have critical symptoms. All are stable,” he said. A live list of fever admissions across the State were consolidated every day, he said.
“Last year, last-minute referrals were a challenge for us. Persons with fever resorted to self-medication, underwent treatment at private hospitals for two days and then referred to government hospitals. This should be avoided, and persons with fever should approach government hospitals immediately,” he said.
All government medical college hospitals and district headquarters hospitals in the State have special wards for fever, he added. “We have bedside cell counters. The government has purchased 860 cell counters at a cost of ₹25 crore,” he said.
Through the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine, a meeting with the Indian Medical Association was held. Only those private hospitals that have bed facility have been asked to admit persons with dengue symptoms or else they should refer them to government hospitals, the Minister said.
He added that the DPH, along with Local Administration Department, was taking up source reduction measures to control breeding of mosquitoes.
He said they had provided sample of ‘Nilavembu Kudineer” to the Malaysian government and it was being used in the country.