A four-year-old boy died here on Sunday of dengue fever, prompting political leaders to call out the “negligence" of the ruling DMK government and urging it to take preventive measures to halt the spread of the virus.
Principal opposition party AIADMK and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) condemned the incident and urged the health department to step up awareness of dengue.
The child, whose parents are Ayyanar and Sonia, was under treatment for fever at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children.
“My son was not well. I admitted him to the hospital for treatment. However, he died today due to dengue fever," the boy’s mother told reporters.
Following the death of the boy, residents of his locality in Maduravoyal tried to stage a road roko on the busy Chennai-Bengaluru highway demanding better amenities in their area. They were later pacified by the police and health department authorities.
“I am deeply pained by the death of the four-year-old. I extend my condolences to the bereaved family members," AIADMK’s Palaniswami said in a social media post.
“Media reports attribute the cause of death of the boy to dengue fever. I urge the DMK government to take all preventive measures to contain its spread," he said.
PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss while extending his deep condolences to the boy’s family said it is painful to note that the dengue-related deaths continue to occur in Tamil Nadu.
“It is negligence on the part of the officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation. The health department should spread awareness on dengue fever and implement disease prevention mechanisms to contain its spread" he said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)
