Jamshedpur: After State health department has issued directives to all the district civil surgeons and surveillance units to ensure that all suspected swine flu cases are properly screened and hospital prepared to tackle suspected cases, isolation wards have come up at MGM Medical Hospital and Sadar Hospital.
The secretary health department, Nitin Madan Kulkarni, all the 24 district civil surgeons and district surveillance officers have been directed to ensure all government and private hospitals for immediate notify about influenza A H1N1 like cases and patients with severe acute respiratory infection and also set up isolation wards and stock up medicines for treatment of such diseases.
�The secretary has issued the directive in view of reports of eight swine flu cases across the state including death of a patients due to swine flu in private hospital in Ranchi in January.
The civil surgeons and surveillance officers have issued instructions to all government hospitals and private hospitals about immediate notification of suspected cases and setting up of isolation wards for treatment of such cases in all major government and private hospitals across state and stocking of necessary medicines. This apart, we had issued advertisement for awareness on swine flu including primary symptoms and remedial measures,� said state national health mission director, K. N Jha.
Jamshedpur surveillance officer confirmed that so far there has not been a single confirmed case of swine flu.
�There has been no swine flu positive case or even suspected cases in the district. But we are pulling up our socks in order to meet any exigency, if at all, it arises. Our staff are trained in using PPEs for collection of throat swabs. It is mandatory for doctors and para-medics to use PPEs while treating patients with H1N1 viral strain,� said the health official.
�We do not want to take any chances especially it being a vacation season with students and youths coming from different parts of the country to the state,� added an official.
All hospitals have been asked to inform the civil surgeon’s office if they receive any suspected case of swine flu, which is fortunately yet to hit the city.
The civil surgeon has categorically directed Tatanagar Railway Hospital in Khasmahal to take extra care of patients admitted there with high fever because Jamshedpur boasts regular train services to the south and many passengers travel between the steel city and the two southern states.
According to experts drastic change in weather conditions and fast depleting forest cover may have let the virus that hitherto confined to wild animals, prey the human beings.
Unusual weather conditions seem to have triggered viral fevers on a large scale with scores of children and adult being admitted to the hospital with such complaints.
With the onset of monsoon complaints of diarrhoea, cough, cold and fevers are common. Moreover the unattended filth and garbage spread all over are some of the major reasons that have led to the breeding of mosquitoes.
