With death toll crossed 280 in Gujarat due to swine flu over the past seven months, a three member team of experts from the Central Government has rushed to Ahmedabad to take stock of the situation.
The State Government is wary over the spread of the fatal disease as death toll is constantly increasing that too in the mid of the monsoon season. According to medical practitioners, spread of the swine flu virus would be at its peak during the cold season. In the past couple of day, over 200 new cases reported across the State.
Sources in the State Health department said the team of experts would study the situation and suggest the measures to be taken to curb spread of the swine flu virus. The experts had detailed discussion over the situation in the state with the Minister of State for health Shanker Chaudhary. The team also visited Ahmedabad Civil Hospital where more maximum number of swine flu affected patients have been admitted and taking treatment.
They also visited one of the urban health centres to see what remedial measures are being taken by the health teams of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. With a view to understand ground reality, the experts also met kin of those who lost their lives due to the fatal disease. later on the team went to Rajkot where they visited the civil hospital and other places to check ground reality. They would also visit some other places on tomorrow and give their final report which would include remedial suggestions to curb the spread of the disease.
‘‘Heavy rain in Saurashtra region, Ahmedabad and North Gujarat has drastically brought temperature down coupled with the moisture in the atmosphere. Such weather condition is ideal for the spread of the swine flu virus. As a result of it, swine flu cases increased in large number even before the beginning of winter this year,’’ said a senior health department official of the Gujarat Government.
Meanwhile, the State Government on its part started door to door awareness campaign in Ahmedabad and other swine flu affected areas. Already folk fairs in Rajkot have been forced to close down by the authority. A month long folk fairs organised in Rajkot and other parts of the Saurashtra were to continue till mid-September. The organisers of the fair had rushed to the Gujarat High Court to prevent the State Government from interfering as it could cause heavy losses to them but the High Court refused to intervene for the benefit of the public health.