‘Isolation wards a must at new hospitals’

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“Swine flu has become endemic. At the meet in Nagpur last year, the state had decided to pull up its socks and intensify surveillance measures. The positive side of the picture is that our surveillance teams have been able to pick up cases quickly and after screening 1.32 lakh people, 13,409 have been given oseltamivir tablets. There is also no shortage of anti-viral medication and there is a stock of more than five lakh tablets,” Sawant told media persons after launching the ‘Mahila Arogya Abhiyan’ at district hospital, Aundh.

The state has registered 119 deaths due to swine flu and a total of 1352 patients with the virus. “I am keeping a close watch at all the centres and specially at Pune, where 30 persons are on ventilator support,” Sawant said . “We have been alert and the situation in Maharashtra is not as bad as in other states. Citizens should not panic and treat the disease as soon as possible,” he added.

He however explained that if a person already had flu like symptoms, there was no point in taking a vaccine. A vaccine needs to be taken at least two to three weeks ahead of the influenza season and from this December, the state will ensure that the health staff are immunised as they are the primary health care providers. On the occasion, Minister of State for Health Ram Shinde also said that there was no shortage of oseltamivir tablets.

Principal Health Secretary Sujata Saunik said that from February 26 to March 12, a series of women’s health programmes will be conducted. On the occasion, the state health department’s logo ‘Sankalp Nirogi Maharashtracha’ was released and a cancer detection camp for women was held.

Mental health helpline

Medha from Ratnagiri, who is appearing for Class X examination this year, was the first caller to the state’s new mental health helpline —104. None other than Dr Deepak Sawant, state health minister, attended the call and tried to help resolve her problem.

“She was so tense and worried about the SSC examination. I spoke with her, tried to encourage and reassure her by saying that concentrating and focusing on studies will definitely help her,” Sawant said as he launched the state’s mental health helpline 104 on Thursday. Sawant also launched ‘Arogya Vardhini’ — a scheme to provide nutritious meals to patients suffering from multi-drug resistant tuberculosis on the occasion. ‘Vatsalaya’ — a specially designed ambulance programme to take the mother and child after delivery from hospital to home — was launched.