Kullu: Swine flu spreading its imprint in the state and already having claimed 3 lives, district doctors here laid claim that they were fully prepared to deal with the H1N1 virus.
District health officer Dr. Susheel Chandra said here that hospital staff and doctors spread over the district had been sensitized about the precautions to be taken and treatment lines to be adopted for any patients suspected with the disease symptoms.
An awareness camp has been held here at the Kullu regional hospital, he added, where participation of all field staff was mandatory. Health workers and doctors from private hospitals also participated in the camp.
“The flu is not as dangerous or horrifying as people think but the awareness is most important, says Dr Chandra. If one is aware about how to protected oneself from getting infected or how to access treatment without much delay, then there is no danger to health or life.”
Besides the camp, special teams have been constituted to spread awareness about the disease, he added.
Chief medical officer Kullu Dr. Baldev Thakur said that at the moment there was no swine flu suspected case in the district.
With the state having registered 3 deaths from swine flu, the state health authorities have increased vigil at major public and religious places.
Health minister Kaul Singh Thakur visited the state hospital IGMC Shimla yesterday to take stock of the situation.
Sufficient quantity of medicines and test kits for swine flu are available and these had been made available throughout the state he said.
The minister informed that of the 59 suspected cases of H1N1 reported thus far, 16 had tested positive. Another isolation ward had been set up and directions had been given for setting up another testing machine at Shimla IGMC. The testing machine at Tanda Medical College has been made operational,” said Kaul Singh Thakur.
He also enquired the well being of the swine flu patients admitted for treatment.
.…….With inputs from Shimla bureau
A theater artist, a script writer and a TV anchor, news is something that grips Renuka. She lives in Kullu.
