TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: With the swine flu or H1N1 virus cases touching 624 in India, pressure is on the State government to get its act together as far as treatment of the virulent and highly contagious disease is concerned. The number of patients diagnosed with the flu in Goa has risen to seven, with one traveller from Mumbai detected with the virus this week.
Experts said that because of climatic conditions the virus will remain in the air probably throughout the year and due to tourism and business related travellers, Goa is at risk. They added that as of now, there is no crisis.
However, patients at hospitals alleged that they are put on the antiviral drug and that the staff at hospitals, including the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim, are themselves not comfortable treating them as they are not confident of the quality of the personal protection masks, as many are torn or in bad condition.
The hospital management and staff insist that they give patients their best and they have received training on how to handle patients.
State Epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar admits that there is a risk, but says that there is no need to panic as it is not a crisis as yet.
“We are monitoring the scenario because there are high risk cases,” he said, and added, “Medicines and consumables for personal protection as well as for sending samples are available at district hospitals, GMC and at Chicalim.”
He confirmed that as of last week there were six confirmed cases and there was another one this week taking it up to seven.
“Somebody who is regularly travelling will be our main concern. Like a business man who is travelling regularly as also tourists who come from north, like Delhi or from Telengana,” he said.
The GMC dean Dr Pradip Naik too said that the hospital is prepared. “We have identified two isolation rooms. In case any patient is referred then we will shift him/her to these rooms as we will not be shifting them to the ICU due to other critical patients there. So far no swine flu patient has been referred to GMC,” the Dean told media.
Dr Betodkar said that there is a need to educate people so that they come forward immediately to get treated whether he/she is a suspect or not. But he admitted that as there is no outbreak and the State has still not treated it as one.
“We have started awareness at PHCs and schools,” he said, admitting that masks, gloves for personal protection are important.
For stocking of this medicine Schedule X license is needed and pharmacies have to apply for this.
“This permission has to be taken by pharmacies. We have written to FDA to ask pharmacies to keep stock. Salcete (Farmacia) has the drugs,” he said. Tamiflu and Relenza are antiviral medicines which are currently effective against some strains of swine flu.
According to local doctors because of the climatic condition lots of people have got colds but this does not mean that they have got swine flu.
“There is no need of panic but there is definitely need for precautions. We have already stepped up. On February 9, we had meeting with all medical officers and have asked them to create awareness,” Dr Betodkar said, adding that the health secretary too was being regularly apprised of the situation.
