The Hindu : Front Page : No case of swine flu in India

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Friday, May 01, 2009
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No case of swine flu in India

Aarti Dhar

Surveillance stepped up; States told to probe and contain suspected clusters of influenza-like illness

— Photo: V.V.Krishnan

GUARDING AGAINST the contagion: Passengers arriving from abroad giving details of their travel plans at special counters at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, in the wake of the swine flu incidence reported overseas.

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday said there was no case of suspected swine flu in the country, even as it decided to upscale its stockpile of medicines from one million to 10 million doses.

The States were advised to review their preparedness to investigate and contain suspected clusters of influenza-like illness.

The stockpile of medicines would be decentralised strategically and located in every State, along with protective equipment, Vineet Chowdhry, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Ministry, told journalists here.

Supplies of capsules, personal protective equipment, N-95 masks and three-layered surgical masks were decentralised and kept at the Ministry’s Regional Directors’ offices located in 19 cities.

Reacting to newspaper reports of a suspected swine flu case in Hyderabad, Mr. Chowdhry said the passenger had just come from Texas, U.S., and gone to a private hospital for a common cold. As he had returned from the affected region, he was referred to the Government Chest Hospital, but he failed to turn up.

However, he was tracked down and thoroughly examined, but no flu symptoms were detected. However, the case was being followed up as a precautionary measure. His clinical samples were brought to Delhi for testing.

No other suspected case was identified in screening, he said.

As part of enhanced surveillance, keeping in view the global scenario, passengers were being screened at the international airports in all metros.

Eight counters had been set up, each manned by a doctor and two nurses.

Thirty-six beds were available for treating patients with the flu. Doctors had been deployed from the Central Government Health Scheme and the government had received tenders from four pharmaceutical companies – Ranbaxy, Roche, Cipla and Hetro Drugs – for providing medicines.

Still an option

On the World Health Organisation raising the pandemic alert from phase IV to V, implying that containing the disease was not an option any more, Mr. Chowdhry said it was still an option for India as no case had been reported in the country so far.

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