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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : February 8, 2015 10:57 AM IST
Looking at the increasing number of positive cases and total number of deaths in India due to swine flu, the question arises whether the government declare swine Flu as an epidemic in the country? According to the reports, swine flu had claimed around 200 lives until Feb 2 and has afflicted almost all states and is rampantly spreading needs to be brought under control. The union health ministry on Friday reviewed the swine flu situation in various states, including Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat to check if the states were ready to tackle and defeat an epidemic if it arises. (Read:Swine flu in India: 65 positive cases & 10 casualties reported in Haryana)
The meeting was chaired by additional secretary in the health ministry, A.K. Panda and attended by senior health officials of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, an official release said.
With the need to be well prepared to prevent and curb epidemical conditions, the situation was reviewed in terms of adequacy of isolation wards, medicines, personal protective equipment (PPE) and consumables such as masks, the release added. The institutional preparedness of the states regarding sufficiency of testing labs and testing kits was also reviewed along with the measures taken to spread awareness among the masses for the preventive steps to be adopted. (Read:Swine flu in India: Agra: Six suspected samples sent to Delhi)
The states were asked to indicate whether any assistance was needed to augment their stock of medicines, PPE and testing kits. Clarification was offered on certain technical issues raised by some states in terms of categorization of the patients, screening and medical intervention. The release said that most of the states have reported adequate stock of medicine along with syrup for children, and masks.
The ministry has advised for inter-state transfer of drugs to states such as Punjab and Madhya Pradesh from states which have adequate stock of the drug, to augment their supply.
PPE and testing kits will be supplied immediately from National Centre for Disease Control to states which have requisitioned them. Specialist doctors will be sent to Rajasthan to assist them in treatment of patients in critical care. The health ministry has also advised the states to constantly monitor the situation.
Judging the situation, each citizen should be prepared and well informed about the prevention and precautionary measures to prevent the spread and infection of swine flu. Here are a few things you need to do to protect yourself from getting infected:
Prevent contact with the virus:
Prevent the virus from spreading from the upper respiratory tract:
Although vaccines and medicines are available in the market, it essential to get yourself diagnosed if you show any signs and symptoms of swine flu.
With inputs from IANS
Image source: Getty Images
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