Stitch in time: Department on swine flu alert

Two days after a BJP MLA was tested positive for swine flu, the state health minister Kalicharan Saraf in his chamber at the assembly held a meeting of state-level committee for prevention control of seasonal diseases. In the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary (medical and health) Veenu Gupta, Secretary (medical education) Anand Kumar, Health Secretary Naveen Jain, Director Public Health Dr VK Mathur, SMS medical college principal DR US Agrawal, SMS Hospital superintendent DR DS Meena and other top officials of health department were present. 

In the meeting, minister took detailed information about screening of swine flu, availability of medicines, facilities for sampling, preventive measures and referral facilities. Saraf said that the situation is under control and there is no panic like situation. 

“All necessary arrangements have been made for prevention, control and treatment of swine flu. Rapid action teams have been deployed in effected areas and these teams have been carrying out screening. Instructions also have been given to conduct sudden inspections at houses and neighbouring areas of swine flu patients,” said Saraf. 

“Swine flu is curable if detected at an early stage. Anyone having symptoms should get screened and admitted to a hospital if the test result is positive. Screening centres are functioning at 3033 hospitals including primary health centres, community health centres and district hospitals,” he added.

On Thursday, nine more people at the state assembly gave their blood samples to be tested for swine flu. These 9 people whose blood samples were taken at assembly dispensary includes four MLAs and five are assembly employees. Before this on Wednesday, blood samples of 26 blood samples of MLAs and assembly employees were taken, though all of them were found negative for H1N1 virus.

Soaring numbers

The figure of people tested swine flu positive in the state this year has crossed a thousand mark in the second month only. On Thursday 8 more people tested positive for virus H1N1, raising the total number to 1,004. Three deaths also occurred on Thursday, one each in Jaipur and Kota and one patient reportedly died in UP. With the fresh death cases so far 91 people have died in the state due to swine flu this year.