SALEM/COIMBATORE: Fever death toll in Salem increased as two died of viral fever on Wednesday night. Moreover, a quack, who was a Class VIII passout and was illegally treating patients, was arrested on Thursday.
Viral fever and dengue have been spreading rampantly in the district, causing over five deaths in the past two months. E Vignesh (15), a resident of Kottagoundampatti and a Class X student in a government school, suffered from fever a few days ago and was admitted to Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Hospital. However, without responding to treatment, he succumbed to the ailment.
Similarly, S Kirubna (11), who was also a resident of Kottagoundampatti and a Class V student, died of the fever in a private hospital where she was admitted.
Meanwhile on Thursday, the rural police arrested a medical quack for treating patients illegally. According to the Attur police, Roy Kishore (36), who was from Kolkata had started a clinic a few years ago at Udaiyarpalayam near Attur and claimed to treat piles using ayurvedic medicine and local herbs.
However, there were allegations that he used allopathic medicines to treat patients. Following the allegations, a team of health officials, led by chief medical officer Ashok Kumar, inspected the clinic on Thursday and found that he was a Class VIII passout. Surgical equipment and sanitary napkins supplied by the government to school students were also found in his clinic. The officials lodged a complaint with the Attur police and the quack was arrested.
Meanwhile, officials in Coimbatore are into an overdrive, travelling across the State to determine the cause of the prevalence of viral fevers. However, they blame quacks for spike in number of deaths saying they could not recognise and treat patients for dengue despite clear symptoms. Of the 79 quacks identified this year, nearly half were arrested in the last two months, after the dengue outbreak.