CHENNAI: Listing out the measures to combat dengue attack in the State, the Tamil Nadu government on Thursday informed the Madras High Court that 2,715 temporary staff have been deployed to carry out control measures, including checks on domestic breeding. It also submitted that the State’s health insurance scheme has been extended to cover treatment of those affected by the vector-borne disease.
KS Selvakumar, Additional Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department, made the submissions on a plea filed by Advocate AP Suryaprakasam seeking authorities to tackle the spread of dengue in the State.
The reply to the court further mentioned the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) being extended to cover those affected by dengue in government as well as private hospitals.
To compensate the people taking treatment for dengue in private hospitals, the cashless treatment scheme can be availed in empanelled hospitals.
Under this scheme, treatment for dengue complications like dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome is already covered. The insurance coverage has a ceiling of `5 lakh per family for five years, the submission stated. Effective measures are being taken to prevent the spread of the vector-borne disease with the help of over 2,500 fogging machines also, the affidavit further read.
“...the total sanctioned post of Health Inspectors was 2,894, of which 384 were vacant. The government, by a recent GO, had granted permission to fill up the vacant posts. The notification for the selection X-b process is forwarded by the Medical Recruitment Board, which is under the consideration of the government.
Meanwhile, to carry out uninterrupted services in the field, an additional 2,715 Health Inspectors are engaged temporarily to carry out disease-control measures, including Covid-19 control activities,” the Health official submitted. The court, recording the submissions, adjourned the plea by four weeks.