Viral fever and communicable diseases have taken a heavy toll on the Kerala health sector,which is already burdened by increasing life-style diseases. Indicating the gravity of the crisis in a state facing the paradox of low mortality and high morbidity,Health Minister Shivakumar Tuesday said that around 10 lakh people have been hit by fever since January this year. With the onset of monsoon,Kerala witnessed a heavy rush of fever patients with daily turnout at hospitals ranging from 10,000 to 14,000. The fever has claimed 140 lives out of 9,99,118 patients so far,and 1.5 lakh cases were reported in the past 10 days itself,he said. The cases of fatal dengue have also gone up with 2,848 confirmed cases and 11 deaths this year. The data of the integrated disease surveillance unit shows the resurgence of malaria and cholera,which had been once wiped out from the state. So far,372 malaria and four cholera cases have been confirmed this year. With the monsoon outbreak,the garbage-clogged drains have turned to breeding grounds of mosquito.
