DMK legislator N Karthik today blamed the ‘non-functioning’ of Health Minister Vijayabhaskar and Local Administration Minister, SP Velumani for the spread of dengue across the State, particularly in Coimbatore.

He told mediapersons after visiting Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital and holding discussions with officials, regarding steps taken to prevent the spread of dengue and other types of fever that Vijayabhaskar was busy ‘protecting himself from the corruption charges and neglecting the welfare and health aspects of the general public’.

He said the hospital authorities were giving false information regarding the number of cases and eight people died of dengue in a private hospital in the city in the last one week.

As against nearly 1000 people being admitted with dengue, viralfever and swine flu in hospitals inCoimbatore, Erode, Tirupur and Salem, the official figure was less than 100, he said.

Garbage accumulation was the main reason behind the spread of diseases and the local administration department, under Velumani ‘was not functioning properly’, Kathik alleged.

The Government should take preventive measures on war footing, he added.