Govt. hospitals in Ahmedabad gear up to fight Congo virus

Ahmedabad, Jan 21 (ANI): The government hospitals here have been put on high alert on Friday after the demise of a 30-year-old woman due to Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).

Professor M D Gajjar, who is head of the department of a civil hospital in Ahmedabad, said that the government is well aware of the current situation and is all geared up to tackle it.

Gajjar further said that all medical personnel have been told to obey Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) as it helps in maintaining the required barrier between a patient and the doctors.

"We have taken the due care. Government and the department are well aware of it. Protocol has been established on how to deal with the situation. Therefore, nobody should be panic. We have created isolation wards that have a capacity of 24 patients. All the medical personnel who are working in the isolation ward are told to obey the PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)," he said.

Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas confirmed that the government is concerned about the life-risking virus, and assured that there is nothing to worry, as the disease has not cast its evil shadow over the community yet.

"Yesterday the Center for Communicable Disease Control of Indian has sent six team members here. They are doing a lot of research and NIV (National Institute of Virology), Pune is also guiding us timely on the issue. Whatever is to be taken care of is being done by us. I would like to assure one good thing that it has not spread in the community and is restricted to the kith and kin of the patients," stated Vyas.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Congo is a viral hemorrhagic fever of zoonosis nature (transmitted from animals to humans and vice-versa). (ANI)