more-in MADURAI The tender process for the construction of All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Thoppur would begin this year soon after getting Union government’s approval, said Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan here on Friday. He said that the estimated cost of ?1,264 crore was being vetted by an expert financial committee and pre-investment activities were being taken up by an infrastructure development company — HLL Infra Tech Services (HITES). He was speaking to reporters prior to his inspection of the upcoming super speciality hospital here. “During the meeting between Prime Minister and Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswamy sought the sanctioning of funds for the AIIMS so that the work can begin at the earliest,” he said. The Secretary added that the three multi-super speciality hospitals, now under construction at Madurai, Tirunelveli and Thanjavur at a cost of 150 crore each, were nearing completion and would be inaugurated soon. When asked about the spread of communicable diseases like leptospirosis, dengue and swine flu, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that the State was on alert and monitoring disease prevalence in parts of Gujarat, Kerala and Karnataka (particularly Bengaluru). He also acknowledged that there was a spike in the number of reported dengue cases in Theni and Dindigul districts. “The period between October and December is a difficult time as diseases spread quickly. Guidelines have been provided to the district administrations to identify ‘hot spots’ based on previous year’s data. Areas with over one death or three reported cases are being watched vigilantly. We also have regular checks and celebrate ‘Anti-Dengue Day’ every Thursday. The State also has adequate medicines,” he said. Mr. Radhakrishnan insisted on personal hygiene and said that it was pertinent to wash hands and keep surroundings clean to avoid spread of diseases. He suggested covering pots of potable water to prevent spread of dengue. He also instructed the public to consult qualified medical professionals instead of self-medicating.

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