TN: Swine flu scare grips Vellore district as H1N1 snuffs out lives of six persons

Rugmani, 61, of Periyankuppam and G Vinodhini, 27 of Veerankuppam in Ambur -- died of the infection on Monday at the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital, sources said.
Image used for representational purpose only. (Photo: File / EPS)
Image used for representational purpose only. (Photo: File / EPS)

VELLORE: Death of six persons over a period of one month due to swine flu infection has triggered scare and panic among the people in the district even as the district administration is fighting to save them from being falling victims to the dreaded infection.

Close on the heels of the death of a Gudiyattam resident, Ramamoorthy, at a private hospital in Chennai, two women -- Rugmani, 61, of Periyankuppam and G Vinodhini, 27 of Veerankuppam in Ambur -- died of the infection on Monday at the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital, sources said.

As soon as the loss of lives were reported, the authorities of government departments, including Health, rushed to the villages, where the deceased were staying, for carrying out sanitising and cleaning works.

Fogging, chlorination and source reduction works were carried out, besides keeping the relatives of the deceased under surveillance with necessary medical support.

G Pandian, a resident of Arcot; Dhanalakshmi of Vellore city; and Jamaluddin of Vaniyambadi were the other three people who reportedly died of H1N1 infection.

This apart, the death of a child, infected with dengue, last week at Arakkonam has sent shivers among the people.

However, top officials said that the situation was not alarming and they were initiating a lot of measures to arrest any outbreak.

"We are carrying out extensive awareness campaign to educate the people to keep themselves clean and hygienic. The handwashing techniques are also explained to the public and the students in educational institutions," said KST Suresh, the deputy director of Health and Preventive Medicine.

He said that special squads, quick response teams and hospitals-on-wheel were pressed into service for fever surveillance and subsequent treatment.

Officials say that personal hygiene plays a key role in keeping viral infections at bay. In the meantime, activists blame the lax attitude of the authorities concerned and lack of round-the-year strategy for prevention of outbreak, for the current situation.

"We can see the health department and civic body staff swing into action for cleaning works only during any outbreak, otherwise they are not at all worried about cleanliness and hygiene. Only if the preventive measures are taken up on a round-the-year basis, people can be saved from perishing due to infections like swine flu and dengue," said K Rathinasami, a social activist and the joint secretary of Consumer Protection Movement.

The absence of elected representatives of civic bodies is also cited to be a big handicap in carrying out the cleaning works.

Usha Nandhini, a social activist and a former councillor, says, "There is none to question the officials in absence elected local bodies. We see lesser number of conservancy workers in action. If the stagnant water is not pumped out, piled-up garbage is not removed and unused tyres and other scraps holding rain water are not cleared, then how you can prevent infections."

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