The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Ordeal has telling effect on their health

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 29, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Ordeal has telling effect on their health

By Akhila Seetharaman

CHENNAI, DEC. 28. For residents of fishing colonies along the Marina in Chennai surviving the tidal wave was a question of how far and how fast their legs could carry them.

Two days after the catastrophe, they still feel the strain of fleeing from the beach in their aching muscles.

"The most common complaint is pain in the legs from running long distances," said Krishnakumari from the Chennai Corporation's medical delegation at Nochikuppam. "People panicked and ran all the way to Teynampet, T. Nagar and Royapettah, falling and hurting themselves," said A. Meenakshi at the Apollo Hospital's camp near the lighthouse. Most of the 1,500 people treated at the camp so far have been treated for aches, pains and wounds caused due to falls as they ran.So far, relief workers have successfully staved off epidemics, at least on the Marina. Doctors have come across a few cases of respiratory infection, diarrhoea and fever.

Dr. Meenakshi said several people were treated for high blood pressure.

"Some people suffered from hypertension caused by stress from losing family members and property," she said. She narrated the story of a patient whose blood pressure shot up as he spent the day hunting for his missing children.

"We monitored him and brought down his blood pressure," she said. "He later found his children at the T. Nagar police station."

The Corporation deployed workers to spray colonies along the Marina with disinfectants and insecticides. According to the assistant health officer at Nochikuppam, Rajkumar, "We are monitoring the level of chlorine in the water in Syntex tanks supplied by Metrowater."

Despite the sprays, flies swarmed many interior lanes of several of the colonies.

Earthmoving cranes began clearing the rubble on the main roads. However, foul smell continued to emanate from the interior lanes of Srinivasapuram, thanks to carcasses, stagnant water and clogged latrines.

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