Patients throng govt hospital in TN complaining of high fever

Hundreds of patients are thronging Government Hospital here complaining of high fever and symptoms similar to "Chikungunya", a senior doctor said today.

Though many of them needed hospitalisation, they could not admit them as there were only 20 beds, Dr Anga Reddy, resident medical officer, said.

Blood samples had been sent to Chennai for testing, and only after the results were received, proper treatment could be given."As of now, we are giving treatment for viral fever," he said.

According to a municipal official, 20 beds for a town with heavy floating population, besides the 1.5 lakh local population is inadequate.

Uma Maheswari, deputy director of health attributed the fever to swarming mosquitoes and flies in the town, where fish is dried indiscriminately at many places and demanded that the local body take steps to contain mosquitoes.

S Radhakrishnan, a local chamber functionary said the cost of one pot of water which was Rs2 had increased to Rs5 with municipal water supply system paralysed due to power shortage. The pilgrim town was getting power only for six to seven hours a day, he said.

The municipal officials said they were taking steps to augment water supply but said power was a major constraint.