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Chikungunya: expert team's report in two days

Staff Reporter

Union Health Minister promises help to the State

ALAPPUZHA: A team of experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Union Health Ministry which visited the chikungunya-affected Cherthala taluk in the district on Wednesday to asses the situation there will submit its preliminary report to Union Health Minister Anbumoni Ramadoss in two days.

After preliminary discussions with officials of the State Health Department at the Cherthala taluk hospital, the team agreed that the situation was grave and needed further study. Those who participated in the discussions included Alappuzha Collector K.R. Muraleedharan, Alappuzha District Medical Officer N.K. Velayudhan and the State Virology Institute Director.

The expert team arrived in the district by 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, an official release said the Union Health Minister had promised to provide necessary help to the State to overcome the impact of chikungunya outbreak after receiving the report of the expert committee. The assurance was given to Alappuzha MP. K.S. Manoj who met him in New Delhi. The Director-General of Health Services, Union Health Department, would visit the district on October 8 to assess the situation.

Mr. Manoj said the Union Health Minister had also promised to revive the vector control research centre here which functioned under the Indian Council of Medical Research.

The centre which was functioning in the district was closed down in 1996.

The discussions held by the nine-member expert team with officials of the State is learnt to have reiterated the difference of opinion existing among experts on whether the death of about 70 people in the State was because of chikungunya or some other disease.

The expert team is likely to continue to stay in the district on Thursday and will meet affected persons.

They are likely to take more blood samples also. WHO Director J.P. Narain is likely to visit the district on Friday.

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