Two cases of H1N1 flu detected in J&K; measures put in place

Srinagar, Jan 30: The Jammu and Kashmir Health department collected 43 samples of suspected H1N1 patients on Friday, out of which two turned out to be positive.

"We collected 43 samples of suspected H1N1 patients in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday. Of these two are positive and 31 negative and reports of 10 samples are awaited", a senior officer of the Health department said.

In view of these reports, Governor N N Vohra on Friday reviewed the preparedness of the Health and Medical Education Department in dealing with the problem. "The state has geared up to deal with H1N1 flu.

The preparedness to tackle H1N1 flu in the State has been reviewed and measures put in place", Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education department, Dr Mandeep Bhandari said.

As per the situation report on H1N1 Flu status provided by the Secretary Health and Medical Education, a total of 32 samples of suspected patients were collected in Jammu division and 11 in Kashmir division, the department officer said. "Out of 32 collected samples in Jammu Division, 23 cases have been found negative, two positive and reports of seven cases are pending.

In Kashmir Division, out of 11 samples collected, 8 are negative and results of the rest are awaited", he added. Bhandari said that a Control Room has been established in the Directorates of Health Services at Jammu and Srinagar; an advisory has been circulated to all districts for the sensitization of health care professional and para professionals, including ASHAs and Anganwadi workers, regarding the disease.

Besides, screening and sample collection centres have been established at Government Medical College, Jammu, SKIMS Soura, GMC Srinagar, hospitals in Gandhinagar and Sarwal for drawing samples of the persons suspected to have Influenza-A.

Designated isolation facilities have been established in Government Medical College, Jammu, SKIMS, Soura, GMC Srinagar, hospitals in Gandhinagar and Sarwal, all districts hospitals and CHCs in Jammu division and nodal officers have been designated in each institution for H1N1 Influenza patients. In Kashmir division, 120 health centres including district hospitals, sub-district hospitals, primary health centres with 134 isolation beds have been designated for the purpose, SKIMS, Srinagar, has 12 ICU beds and the Chest and Disease Hospital, Srinagar, has 6 ICU beds for H1N1 patients, he said.

Bhandari said that surveillance desks are being established with special teams, including doctors and paramedical staff, at identified major entry points including airports, railway station, and Lakhanpur check post, separate OPDs are being established at government hospital, Gandhi Nagar, and government hospital, Sarwal.

He said that in GMC, Srinagar, rooms have been designated for admitting patients with H1N1 symptoms; 4 ventilators have been earmarked for such patients who need ventilator support; and an MoU has been signed with Lal Path Lab for conducting tests for the admitted patients for which the charges will be borne by the hospital.

The officer said that H1N1 testing lab facility at GMC Srinagar is also ready and will commence functioning from February 1. In GMC Jammu, OPDs to clinically screen the patients have been earmarked in Chopra Nursing Home and Department of Paediatrics in SMGS Hospital, Jammu, he added.

In SMGS Hospital, Paediatrics Intensive Care Unit along with ventilators has been identified to cater to the children admitted with swine flu, he said. Bhandari said that to ensure that adequate supplies of medicines, N95 masks required for health care workers and Virus Transport Medium (VTM) for transportation of samples are urgently being procured and distributed to the concerned hospitals units.

PTI