Vaishnodevi basecamp on high alert over swine flu

With over 25,000 pilgrims thronging Vaishnodevi cave shrine daily, devotees are being screened to find out whether they are infected with the swine flu virus.

The state government has put the health care system on high alert with teams of doctors carrying out the screening at Katra, the base camp of the shrine.

"With rise in number of swine flu suspects, the department of health services has sounded a high alert at the base camp and along the entire 13-km route to the shrine," chief medical officer Raj Paul Singh said.

A four-member team of doctors has been constituted for the purpose, he said, adding medicines and other necessary arrangements have been made. Besides, an isolation ward for the swine flu suspects has been set up at the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Katra.

For awareness of general public and pilgrims, a massive information campaign regarding the viral disease has been launched, he said.