Swine flu: No need to panic, says IMA's Kerala unit

As part of the efforts to combat spread of swine flu, more screening centres will be set up in major private hospitals in the state, the Kerala unit of Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced today.

'With Onam festival ahead, preventive and awareness campaign about the disease, which claimed one life and affected 69 persons, have to be stepped up', said IMA state president, R Ramesh." There is no need to panic but more vigilance is required in view of the festival season," he added.

Speaking at a workshop to sensitise media persons about the 'H1N1-disease' here, Ramesh said that till now the disease was found mostly in migratory population and so the surveillance system at airports and in other places has to be strengthened.

IMA plans to rope in private hospitals and medical practitioners to help the state governments in its efforts to fight the disease.

Health Secretary Manoj Joshi said that a team of doctors would visit the Amritha Institute of Medical Science at Kochi on August 18 to ascertain whether the Institute could be used as 'testing centre for the disease'.
    
The government has also asked the Centre to recognise the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio-technology here as a testing centre, he said.