Dengue figures in Assembly

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 12. The outbreak of dengue in the city figured in the Assembly today as the Health Minister, Mr. S. Semmalai, said 34 children had been admitted to the Child Health hospital at Egmore with dengue fever.

While the MLAs raised an alarm over dengue spreading to the entire State, the Minister insisted that the situation was under control and cases had been reported only in Chennai and not in any other part of the State.

Fogging operations had been carried out in the areas where the case had been reported, the Minister added.

When the Minister took a veiled dig at the Chennai Mayor, Mr. M. K. Stalin, saying ``those who promised to create Singara Chennai had only left behind a dengue Chennai'', the DMK member, Mr. Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, insisted that the cases were reported only in the last three months after the AIADMK government took charge.

To this, the Minister said 124 cases of dengue had been reported last year and a few children had also died.

The Minister said dengue appeared to be a ``rich man's disease'' as the condition was caused by mosquitoes which breed in cool, clean water and particularly, refrigerated items.

Dengue sparked some lighter moments when the Vellore MLA, Mr. C. Gnanasekaran (TMC), said dengue was contagious and he did not wish to contract it from Chennai legislators particularly, Mr.Ilamvazhuthi.

Not to be outwitted, Mr.Ilamvazhuthi said Vellore had a high incidence of AIDS, and he wished to keep away from Mr.Gnanasekaran.

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