A deadly disease if not controlled, swine flu can become a major health concern for Jammu & Kashmir if government doesn’t take speedy measures to control the spread of the virus that has already landed in the state. Haroon Mirani reports.
A deadly disease if not controlled, swine flu can become a major health concern for Jammu & Kashmiris if government doesn’t take speedy measures to control the spread of the virus that has already landed in the state. Haroon Mirani reports.
After sweeping most of the world, the Swine Flu is knocking at the doors of Kashmir valley.
Three people from the state, one from Jammu and two from Srinagar, have been detected with swine flu. All of them had acquired the infection from outside the state. Akankshi, 22, of Jammu was the first to contract this virus during her stay in Pune where she studies Business Administration.
In Srinagar, a New Delhi based businessman and a Pune based MBA student have been declared as Swine flu patients. The two hail are from Jawahar Nagar and Nowhatta localities of Srinagar, and their samples were collected at the airport on August 12.
According to M A Wani, Director Health Services, “These two had recently returned home with complaints of influenza. Their samples were sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (now National Centre for Disease Control), Delhi on Aug 12 and the report was received by us today (Aug 14). Both patients have tested positive for the swine flu virus.”
The patients are on the Tamiflu tablets and are recovering fast in the quarantined areas of their homes.
According to experts, Kashmir is a potential high risk zone for the spread of Swine Flu virus. Tourism being a major threat, the troopers and their families coming and going outside too include a virus carrier group.
Pune, which has already been declared as the Swine Flu capital of India shares a special relationship with Jammu and Kashmir. According to estimates, around 5000 students besides traders and others from the state reside in Pune. As the city has been literally shut down, many Kashmiris have returned and more are expected to come home, some of whom may carry the virus with them.
Two out of three cases of swine flu virus detected in the state have their origins in Pune. It constitutes a high risk group with need of priority attention.
Although the government has claimed of setting up monitoring teams at all the airports and some entry points, but the initial reports have painted grim picture of the scenario. Hundreds of students arriving from Pune were not even checked and if anybody is checked, the doctors are either ill quipped or ill trained to diagnose swine flu.
Currently only a few doctors at GMC Srinagar are properly trained to tackle Swine Flu.
In addition to the three local cases, the state has also witnessed four other cases of Swine flu. Two relatives of an army official and two more tourists were tested positive for this virus.
Although they were detected and cured, no action was taken to trace out whether anybody might have contracted the disease from them. “If any passenger in a train or a plane tests positive for Swine flu in China, the government there isolates entire train or plane and every passenger minutely,” said a doctor in Government Medical College. “It is due to such strategy that China has not got Swine flu problem at such a higher level, but here nothing of sorts is done.”
Till now, 23 people have died due to swine flu in India and of them 15 have been from Pune alone. Swine flu is already being declared as Pandemic with serious ramifications if it goes unchecked.
Experts fear that if the government keeps up such a lackadaisical attitude, the Swine flu bomb might be ticking in Kashmir and ready to explode at any time. The tourist flow is also at its peak in Kashmir and thousands of tourists – both domestic and foreigners – are coming to Kashmir everyday.
State government recently announced the setting up of screening teams at Srinagar, Jammu and Leh airports besides establishing isolation rooms and provisions to quarantine the area.
Rapid response teams have also been formed at district and state levels and medicines and personal protective gear equipment made adequately available in the state, an official statement issued in Srinagar said. It was also stated that special vehicles and ambulances have been kept available for transportation of staff and patients.
Revised guidelines have been circulated to all the concerned besides, notifying hospitals for testing. Government has also ordered Isolation wards be established in all the leading hospitals of the state.
Minister for Medical Education, R.S. Chib, says that Department of Immunology, SKIMS Soura is being upgraded in order to set up a Diagnostic Centre for testing purposes. Rupees 25 lakh have been sanctioned for the same. Jammu GMC has also been asked to come up with such a proposal.
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir had sent samples of 43 patients for testing of the deadly virus till Thursday August 13.
A high level team from New Delhi headed by Joint Secretary, Govt. of India, V K Thakral, who has been designated as Nodal Officer for Jammu & Kashmir State, visited Srinagar to take stock of the preparations done by state government in dealing with Swine Flu.
To deal with changing situation, the state government has also asked the army and paramilitary forces to report every suspected case to it, due to the non-availability of expertise with forces to deal with the pandemic.
