VILLUPURAM: Tension prevailed across the district as a 25-year-old potter and a six-year-old boy died of dengue on Wednesday. Though both the deceased tested positive for dengue, government officials concerned negated the same, saying there was no dengue death.
Sources said S Suresh, who was married and living with his wife and children at Mandavai near Marakkanam, was treated at Anumandhai PHC for the past 10 days.
Suresh underwent several medical examinations there and the test results showed he had dengue. Despite treatment, he died late on Wednesday.
When Express contacted Villupuram Deputy Director of Health Services S Saundammal, she refuted the claim that Suresh had dengue. She claimed that Suresh had migrated to Bengaluru in search of work and had returned to his native place only a week ago and hence he might have contracted fever before he reached back home.
In another case, Vishnupriyan of Chinna Salem succumbed to dengue. A Class I student in a private school in his village, Vishnupriyan was taken to a private hospital in Chinna Salem on August 2 and was provided treatment.
Late on Tuesday, the doctors in the Coimbatore hospital diagnosed Vishnupriyan with dengue and shifted him to ICU for intensive treatment, but in vain. His body was cremated in his native village on Thursday evening.
However, Kallakurichi Deputy Director for Health Gemini claimed there was no medical record showing that he died of dengue. Gemini said Vishnupriyan suffered from a cardiac problem since his childhood and should have died due to his condition.
Min trashes Stalin’s charge
After DMK leader M K Stalin accused Health Minister C Vijaya Basker of lying to the Assembly that dengue was under control, the latter issued a statement in reply to the former’s claims.
Stalin had said that Tamil Nadu must have a full-time Health Minister who will give attention to the ministry and solve issues like dengue.
In his statement, Vijaya Basker said the opposition leader’s claim was baseless and politically motivated.
Dengue has been brought under control in the State, he asserted.
Over 30,000 field workers, 3,500 health inspectors, and 164 entemologists are on the field working 24 hours.
Also 416 medical mobile teams are functioning, he added.