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Friday, October 6, 2006 (Alappuzha):
Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday visited the Taluk hospital in Cherthala, which is ground zero of chikungunya.
The chikungunya outbreak has affected 160 districts across the country but Alappuzha is the worst hit.
Eighty-five people have died so far but authorities are still unsure about what caused these deaths.
Expert opinion
The Health Minister said medical literature shows that chikungunya is not a killer and the deaths could be due to secondary complications like cardiac arrest, renal failure, liver problems and multiple organ failure.
"Every state government has the mechanism to find out but since there was some controversy in Kerala we have also sent team of experts," said Dr Ramadoss.
Once the experts give their report, we will come to some conclusion. In a day or two we will know but in case the deaths are because of chikungunya we accept it," he added.
Ramadoss's statement has generated a controversy and Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan has appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to rein in his minister.
But Ramadoss refused to back down, saying he would forward the experts' report to the Chief Minister.
Control package
It's not difficult to figure out why so many have fallen ill in Alappuzha.
Little has been done to control mosquitoes. And Ramadoss has now announced a special package to control vector-borne diseases.
"The vector institute will be supported by ICMR and central government. The Centre will be for all vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya," said Dr Anbumani Ramdoss.
"The Centre will also supply fogging machines, mosquito nets, funds for IEC campaigns, testing kits, also larvicidal fish, which have been found effective in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh," said Dr Anbumani Ramadoss.
Chikungunya or no chikungunya, the fact is that people are dying and there's no let up in the fresh cases coming to the hospitals.
Clearly the authorities will have to leave the controversy behind and concentrate on preventing the deaths and spread of the disease to other areas.
Friday, October 6, 2006 (Alappuzha):
Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday visited the Taluk hospital in Cherthala, which is ground zero of chikungunya.
The chikungunya outbreak has affected 160 districts across the country but Alappuzha is the worst hit.
Eighty-five people have died so far but authorities are still unsure about what caused these deaths.
Expert opinion
The Health Minister said medical literature shows that chikungunya is not a killer and the deaths could be due to secondary complications like cardiac arrest, renal failure, liver problems and multiple organ failure.
"Every state government has the mechanism to find out but since there was some controversy in Kerala we have also sent team of experts," said Dr Ramadoss.
Once the experts give their report, we will come to some conclusion. In a day or two we will know but in case the deaths are because of chikungunya we accept it," he added.
Ramadoss's statement has generated a controversy and Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan has appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to rein in his minister.
But Ramadoss refused to back down, saying he would forward the experts' report to the Chief Minister.
Control package
It's not difficult to figure out why so many have fallen ill in Alappuzha.
Little has been done to control mosquitoes. And Ramadoss has now announced a special package to control vector-borne diseases.
"The vector institute will be supported by ICMR and central government. The Centre will be for all vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya," said Dr Anbumani Ramdoss.
"The Centre will also supply fogging machines, mosquito nets, funds for IEC campaigns, testing kits, also larvicidal fish, which have been found effective in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh," said Dr Anbumani Ramadoss.
Chikungunya or no chikungunya, the fact is that people are dying and there's no let up in the fresh cases coming to the hospitals.
Clearly the authorities will have to leave the controversy behind and concentrate on preventing the deaths and spread of the disease to other areas.