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Killer fever strikes Kerala again

July 02, 2009 18:04 IST
It seems the killer fever is back in Kerala. Several people have died and many hospitalised with the different types of fever threatening to strike in the state.

17 people were reported dead in Kozhikode during the last two days and more than 2,900 hospitalised in the district owing to the fever which is raging in the northern parts of the state.

The hospitalised complain that the fever is creating havoc in the lives of the people, as the haunting memories of Chickungunya are back.

In Thiruvananthapuram also, more than ten people lost their lives during the last couple of days and many were hospitalised at the medical college hospital and the general hospital.

The medical department is also staring at the mounting death toll. However the state health minister P K Sreemathy told the floor of the assembly that the health department is working round the clock and all the incidents of fever have been reported at the highest bodies in the state.

The Director of Health services Dr Shylaja also told mediapersons that there is no reason to panic and that the situation is being monitored closely by the government and the health department.

The minister and the DHS said that several full fledged medical teams are pressed into action in the state and the result of their action would definitely reduce the mortality rate.

Health experts are however of the opinion that the government is not doing enough for containing the fever which is ravaging the state.

George P Sajith of Gemson trust, an NGO active in health management, told rediff.com that the cause of the fever was yet to be ascertained.

"The fever should be controlled and with the government machinery in place, there is not much infrastructure hassles," he added.

Arun Lakshman in Thiruvanthapuram