VELLORE: A Private school in Vellore has been slapped with a fine of Rs 1 lakh after a four-year-old child studying in kindergarten died of dengue on Tuesday. S Nakshatra was admitted to a local hospital on Friday with high fever. Since then, she was shifted to three other hospitals before finally being admitted to the Christian Medical College on Tuesday. She succumbed the same day, around 11 pm.
Deputy health director KST Suresh confirmed the child died of dengue. “She was first taken to a local hospital, and from there to the government medical college. Later, she was moved to the Sri Narayani Hospital and Research Centre, and finally to CMC,” he said. Born to Saranraj and Monikar Rani, Nakshatra was studying at Shiksha Kendra School near Pallikonda.
Sources say the school was fined as the premises were unclean. The girl is believed to have contracted dengue at the school.
“We found the school premises had stagnant water, an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. Their garbage disposal system was also improper. Hence the fine has been levied on the management,” said Suresh.
Fogging was conducted in and around the school on Wednesday. The management has been instructed to test the other children to check if anyone else has symptoms. “Village Health Nurses have been instructed to report any cases of fever to the health department officials,” he said.
“Village Health Nurses have been instructed to report any cases of fever to the health department officials. Fever cases at any private clinics, Primary Health Centres and local hospitals also needs to be immediately reported,” Suresh added.
Meanwhile, officials conducted inspection in and around the girl’s house at Ambedkar Nagar, Vettuvanam in Pallikonda town panchayat and fogging was done. Currently, 12 patients with dengue symptoms are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the district. A total of 804 dengue cases have been reported in the district since January. Arakkonam, Kaveripakkam, Thimiri, Gudiyattam, Kandhili and Tirupattur have reported the most number of cases, official sources said.
Dengue Prevention Day
With the number of dengue cases going up now, the TN Health department sent a circular to all government hospitals on Wednesday, instructing them to observe every Thursday from 8 am to 11 am and 2 pm to 8 pm as Dengue Prevention Day and conduct a massive cleanliness drive.
The circular said, “Teams, each consisting of five to 10 people, should go around the campus and remove all articles such as plastic cups, containers, plastic carry-bags, tyres, bottles, paint tins and all waste materials where the Aedes mosquitoes breed”. It added, “All cement tanks and drums should be washed thoroughly with bleaching powder every week by the house keeping staff of the institutions.”
Health department officials said the circular would also be sent to all other government departments through the District Collectors. Private institutions will be instructed through the Indian Medical Association, they said.
“Uncleaned premises and premises with Aedes larval breeding warrant legal action under the TN Public Health Act 1939. Legal notices would be served on the owners and custodians of such premises,” the circular said.
Health Secretary Beela Rajesh inspected Tiruvallur district on Wednesday where more fever cases including dengue are being reported.
Later, speaking to reporters, Beela Rajesh said, “From January till date, 3,400 dengue cases were reported across the State. Only three people died of dengue in the State this year, and one more death on October 12 is being checked to find if it was dengue case”.