Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

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Chikungunya viral fever: preventive action strengthened in Vizhinjam
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/09/stories/2006090922340300.htm

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: Chikungunya viral fever is not a fatal disease and there is no need for the public to panic, the District Medical Officer (DMO) said in a statement here on Friday.

The epidemic is over its peak period and is on a downward trend. Only 13 cases of viral fever were reported at Vizhinjam today.

No complications due to chikungunya has been reported from anywhere in the district. A sustained effort is needed to keep the mosquito population under check, the statement said.

Preventive action has been strengthened along the coast and field workers have been employed for disease surveillance. Source reduction to kill mosquito larvae and fogging and spraying of insecticides to kill adult mosquitoes are on full swing on the coast.

The DMO urged the public and non-governmental organisations to help maintain environmental hygiene and intensify source reduction measures.

A temporary homoeo dispensary will function at the community hall at Kottappuram church in Vizhinjam from Saturday to distribute preventive medicines for chikungunya fever, DMO (Homoeo) S. Ushakumari said.

Preventive homoeo medical camps are being organised at Vizhinjam and so far, 7,500 persons have taken preventive medicines for viral fever, she said.
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Re: Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Health Minister visits Vizhinjam
http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/10/stories/2006091021650300.htm

Staff Reporter
<table bgcolor="#d0f0ff" border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td> Says disease containment yielding results </td></tr></tbody></table>


<hr color="lightblue" noshade="noshade"><table width="800"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="448">Only 18 fever cases reported from Vizhinjam on Saturday
Slight increase in viral fever in Adimalathura, say health officials <hr color="lightblue" noshade="noshade">
Thiruvananthapuram:


Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy on Saturday expressed satisfaction over the containment of viral fever on the Vizhinjam coast by the officials of the Health Department.


She was visiting the community health centre at Vizhinjam. Disease containment and preventive action along the coast were yielding good results, she said.


"In Tamil Nadu, the number of chikungunya cases has crossed 2.5 lakhs, while we have managed to prevent the fever spreading further along the coast," she said.
In Vizhinjam, where nearly 500-600 cases were reported every day early in August, the total number of fever cases on Saturday was 18.


Health officials said attention should now be focussed on Adimalathura, where there has been a slight increase in viral fever in the past few days. Nearly 50 cases of viral fever were reported from the area on Saturday.


Directions have already been issued to District Medical Officer E.K. Madhavan to post two additional doctors at the Pulluvila primary health centre, which is the health care centre nearest to Adimalathura. Fogging activities have also been intensified in the Kottukal area.
At Vizhinjam, three more doctors have been temporarily posted to tackle the current situation. Two house surgeons are also on duty.


One of the main complaints that the local people raised with the Health Minister was the absence of a doctor in the Community Health Centre to take care of night-time emergencies. For the time being, duties have been so arranged that three doctors do the morning shift while two are on the afternoon shift.


It was pointed out that doctors did not have proper residential facilities at Vizhinjam. Ms. Sreemathy issued directions that the doctors' quarters be arranged without delay, after the necessary repairs.


She also asked the panchayat authorities to address issues such as scarcity of safe drinking water and proper sanitation, which were triggering the infectious diseases.
A crisis management team comprising medical officers, health supervisors, and presidents and secretaries of panchayats has been set up for disease surveillance and for regular monitoring of preventive activities.


Additional Director Health Services (Public Health) M.K. Jeevan, DMO Madhavan and representatives of local bodies were present.
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