Ministry of Health scrambles to help states contain swine flu cases | India News

NEW DELHI: In the face of outbreaks of swine flu and death from disease in 11 states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat and Punjab, the Ministry of Health has sent a public health team to Rajasthan to badess situation and help the state to strengthen its response. The Union Health Secretary, Preeti Sudan, also asked officials to send additional teams to Gujarat and Punjab.

States were also urged to involve district collectors in increasing public awareness and fighting epidemics, said a ministry of health.

The number of deaths in the country this year due to swine flu has risen to 226, the H1N1 virus making 31 more deaths in a week until Monday, while the number of people affected has crossed the bar of 6,000.

Rajasthan registered 85 deaths and 2,263 cases, while Gujarat recorded 43 deaths and 898 people infected with the H1N1 virus. According to government data, Punjab reported 30 deaths and 250 cases of swine flu.

The union health ministry on Wednesday recommended vaccinating health care workers and other priority groups.

At an animated meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of Health, the union's health secretary, Preeti Sudan, examined the readiness and steps taken to deal with cases of H1N1 flu .

The guidelines for influenza vaccination have been communicated to all states and details of vaccine manufacturers provided by the Comptroller General of India have been communicated to all states. Communication materials for preventive measures have also been shared with all States.

"The majority of cases have been reported in 11 states (and the majority of deaths have been reported in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Punjab.) Deaths have been reported in people with conditions such as diabetes, diabetes, and diabetes. hypertension, etc., "the ministry said in a statement.

Videoconferences are regularly organized to monitor the situation.

A Notice of Readiness for Seasonal Influenza A (H1N1) has been published and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) and its state units have strengthened surveillance for influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), the statement said.

The IDSP-badisted laboratory network of 12 laboratories provides laboratory support for testing, quality badurance, counseling, viral transport media and diagnostic reagents.

The ICMR laboratory network (41 laboratories) has also been activated to search for H1N1 cases and beyond the support provided by the MoHFW to the above laboratories, states have also designated their government laboratories and to badyze clinical samples of seasonal influenza A (H1N1).

In addition, NCDC provides diagnostic kits and viral transport kits to States for use in laboratories / hospitals identified by state governments.

States have been invited to follow the MoHFW's seasonal influenza A (H1N) guidelines available on the NCDC website (https://ncdc.gov.in/ or https://mohfw.gov.in/media). / disease-alerts / Seasonal). -Influenza / technical guidelines).

According to the statement, Oseltamivir, the medicine recommended by WHO is made available for free through the public health system.

India's Comptroller General of Medicines has been asked to coordinate with drug manufacturers and monitor the availability of drugs in various states.

The ministry has recommended immunization of health care workers and other priority groups. Guidelines for influenza vaccination have been shared with all states.