Journalism of Courage
The Pune Municipal Corporation convened a meeting with private hospitals and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) to review the HINI situation in the city since April. Dr RR Pardeshi,chief medical officer,Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) urged parents to take extra measures to ensure that their children are not infected.
So far,there have been no guidelines from government about the use of vaccine against HINI virus. According to a report from deputy director,health,on June 7,as many as 15 schoolchildren have been infected. They have been treated and most of them are back at school,officials said and pointed out there was no reason to panic. NIV officials told the meeting presided by municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade the viral strain was similar to that of last year.
When contacted in New Delhi,Dr V M Katoch,director general, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said there was no change in the treatment guidelines. While our surveillance teams are performing their tasks where there are epidemics there is still no way we can predict how the virus will act. Presently it is the same therapy and same regimen of drugs,Katoch said.
He pointed out there was no need to wait for confirmatory tests of the virus if the doctor felt the patient suffered from severe flu. We have seen a rise in cases in Kerala,Karnataka and Maharashtra and hence immediate treatment is the answer,said Katoch. Meanwhile the technical committee of experts who had held a meeting on treatment guidelines following the rise in deaths in Mumbai has submitted their presentations and director,health services in Maharashtra will soon issue a statement on the subject,Pardeshi added.
