CHENNAI: With the number of dengue cases rising, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine have instructed all the deputy directors of health services to strengthen surveillance and vector control activities.
In his letter to the officials, Director of Public Health Dr T S Selvavinayagam said all the private and government hospitals and laboratories should be sensitised to notifiable diseases. “Dengue is under the list of notifiable diseases under the Public Health Act, of 1939. So every medical practitioner should report to the local health authority if they come across such cases,” he said, adding a fine of Rs 10 will be levied on the health officials who fail to give a report on notified diseases.
He also asked the deputy directors of health to implement the provisions of mosquito control activities of the Public Health Act 1939. “A sum of Rs 50 will be fined for failure to comply with the notice suggesting to take steps against breeding of mosquitoes. A sum of Rs 200 will be levied for shoddy work relating to prevention of breeding of mosquitoes, and Rs 500 will be charged for hampering anti-mosquito works,” Selvavinayagam said.
Speaking to the press, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said, 4,227 dengue cases and three deaths have been reported in the state so far, and the active cases stand at 343.