500 patients tested positive for dengue this month:

As many as 500 patients tested positive for dengue in the Union Territory of Puducherry this month, the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services said today.
A number of patients hailed from neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu and these patients were approaching the government hospitals here at the terminal stage of the illness, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services K V Raman said in a release.
Steps have been initiated to recruit on emergency basis staff nurses to treat patients admitted with symptoms of dengue in government hospitals in Puducherry and Karaikal.
A detailed review of the shortage of nursing staff and other personnel in government hospitals was done at a meeting convened by Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao earlier in the day in the context of admission of patients in the government hospitals, the release said.

The director said the government hospitals were facing serious shortage of ward attendants and sanitary workers and these posts were lying vacant for years together.
Although three special wards were opened exclusively for patients hit by dengue, the hospitals required additional staff to take care of the dengue patients.

To meet the immediate requirement, the directorate has decided to recruit staff nurses to function on temporary basis for a monthly consolidated salary of Rs 15,000 till February next in government hospitals in Puducherry and Karaikal.
Sanitary workers would be outsourced as those working as sanitary workers have been promoted to the post of ward attendants in the hospitals.

The Health Minister urged the directorate to intensify anti-dengue campaign by mobilising effectively the Information Education and Communication wing, the release said.