Craving for Epidemic Intelligence Services (EIS) in the country, Union Health Ministry has joined hands with National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of US. However, to check the diseases, India lacks the experts. Notably, the first EIS batch of 2012 with eight trained personnel graduated in 2014. There were 12 seats, but all could not be filled because of a very rigorous selection process.
While talking to The Pioneer on Thursday, health expert Dr Sanjay Sinho told that shortage of experts, who investigate patterns and cause of disease, is need of the hour to deal with outbreaks effectively like ongoing H1N1 disease. After studying with the present H1N1 disease pattern, Dr Sinho stated that so far, it has come to fore that this would not take a shape of epidemic.
However, he felt that in the country, there is acute need of EIS that can work effectively towards outbreak of certain diseases. From 2004-09, he was advisor to World Health Organisation (WHO) on avian influenza (AI). He told that dealing with outbreaks, the country needs to understand many high risk practices and importance of epidemiological intelligence gathering.
Dr Sinho further said that during outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), effective epidemiological intelligence helped in control. Similar network is required in India, especially in light of recent H1N1 cases. Bhopal-born Dr Sinho has been involved with issues of global health and development working with non-profits and foundations.
An advocate for more government spending on health sector, he said, “Generic issues during disease outbreaks, like medicines and other safeguards have been well addressed. However, logical tracking by early detection and spread need more epidemiologists.” He said in line with US, India too needs to develop epidemic intelligence service (EIS).