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Tripura seeks Centre's help to combat meningitis

Tripura government has urged the Centre to rush drugs and a team of doctors to control the fast spreading meningitis disease in Dhalai district which has so far claimed 16 lives in the district.

Updated on: Feb 18, 2009, 15:16:22 IST
PTI | By , Agartala
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Tripura government has urged the Centre to rush drugs and a team of doctors to control the fast spreading meningitis disease in Dhalai district which has so far claimed 16 lives in the district.

HT Image
HT Image

Tripura Health Minister Tapan Chakraborty told reporters in Agartala on Wednesday that he has written an urgent letter to the Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss to dispatch drugs and special medical teams to combat the disease.

A temporary hospital has been set up at Chhamanu and many health camps have been set up in different parts of Longterai subdivision to bring the menace under control, he said.

The situation became difficult after diarrhoea and gastroenteritis also began to spread in that area.

Health department would soon start giving vaccination for meningitis, department sources said, and added that vaccination could not be started before the sub-type of the virus of the disease was not identified.

The disease, which has assumed epidemic proportions, has claimed 16 lives since last fortnight, the minister said.

However, Ratan Lal Nath, leader of the opposition in Tripura assembly, claimed that more than 47 people had died of the disease due to lack of proper health care and more than 600 people were affected by the deadly disease.

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