Date:20/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/20/stories/2006092016180100.htm

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Chikungunya fear grips villagers in Tiruchi district

R. Krishnamoorthy

Manpower shortage hits Government Hospital in handling the situation

PATHETIC: A section of in-patients at Thuvarankurichi Government Hospital in Tiruchi on Tuesday. — Photo: M. Moorthy

TIRUCHI: Hundreds of villagers in Manapparai, Marungapuri and Vaiyampatti panchayat unions are bed-ridden with acute viral fever.

Citing excruciating knee-ache, most of the villagers are gripped by the fear that they are afflicted with Chikungunya.

Due to manpower shortage, the primary health centres (PHCs) at Puthanatham and Sukkampatti and the Government Hospital at Thuvuvarankurichi are hard-pressed to deal with the sudden surge in the number of patients, according to local sources.

The number of outpatients at the Thuvarankurichi Government Hospital was 600 on Tuesday. As it is a six-bedded hospital, the rest of the 40 villagers, admitted as in-patients, had to lie on floor mats.As a contingency measure, the hospital has been provided with Rs.35,000 for procuring additional drugs and staff.

The death of 55-year-old Ramayi of Uthukuli on Monday and two others belonging to Kanjanayakanpatti and Thuvarankurichi respectively over the last week, have raised fears of the fatality of the viral disease.

Admitting that patients complain of knee pain, M. Ezhilarasi, Senior Civil Surgeon at Thuvarankurichi Government Hospital, however, insisted that in none of the cases Chikungunya was confirmed to be the cause.