Concerned over Chikungunya spreading across the country after Kerala, the Centre has called a meeting of health ministers of eight affected states on Thursday.
NEW DELHI: Concerned over Chikungunya spreading across the country after Kerala, the Centre has called a meeting of health ministers of eight affected states on Thursday.
Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss with chair a meeting with health ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and the Capital to take stock of the situation and discuss measures to be taken to contain spread of the disease.
"Health ministers of the affected states will be attending the meeting. It is a review meeting," Director General of Health Services R K Srivastava said on Monday.
So far 400 people have been reported affected with the viral disease in the country.
Srivastava, who had visited Kerala last week to assess the situation following reports of deaths due to Chikungunya, said there has been no deaths due to the mosquito-borne disease in the country.
"We conducted a verbal autopsy in the state and have not found any deaths due to Chikungunya. All the deaths have been due to some other related diseases," he said.
He said the viral disease was reported in the country for the first time after 32 years last year and the health ministry had immediately provided training to the state health officers to contain the problem.
"We had provided awareness material to all the states. The minister will take stock of the situation and assess what more could be done," he said.
Srivastava said if the states sought more assistance from the Centre, the required help would be provided. "We are here to complement and supplement their efforts," he said.
Over 11,000 suspected Chikungunya cases have been reported in the country, out of which 400 cases have been confirmed, said National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme Director G P S Dhillon.
Kerala, which has been battling the disease for the past few weeks, has reported over 8,000 suspected Chikungunya cases, of which 236 have so far been found to be afflicted with the disease that affected 15 states last year.
After Kerala, Gujarat has reported the maximum number of suspected cases.
Till June 12, a total of 2,264 people have been reported to be affected with the viral disease in Gujarat, while 86 people were found to be down with the viral fever.
One case each has been reported from both Delhi and Rajasthan and they were confirmed as Chikungunya, which spreads through Aedes Aegypti mosquito that also causes Dengue.
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