No panic, swear doctors

SURAT, Sept 21: Exactly four years after the outbreak of the killer disease -- experts are yet to reach a consensus whether it was plague...

SURAT, Sept 21: Exactly four years after the outbreak of the killer disease 8212; experts are yet to reach a consensus whether it was plague 8212; medical practitioners of the city have decided to observe restraint and not label any disease without incontrovertible evidence.

Meanwhile, the Delhi-based National Institute of Communicable Diseases said on Monday said the samples of rodent viscera sent to it by the Surat district administration had not shown any evidence of plague bacterium. All reports are negative, the NICD said.

It was September 21, 1994, when the first case was reported from Ved Road area, triggering a scare that brought worldwide infamy for the city. The plague scare sparked a migration of workers who had come to Surat from many parts of the country as well as an exodus of panic-stricken residents, including doctors.

Experts, meanwhile, are still undecided whether the killer disease was actually plague or not. The disease and the quarantine it brought for the city cost Surat heavily in terms of industrial losses of hundreds of crores of rupees before a magnificent turnaround during S R Rao8217;s tenure as municipal commissioner changed the picture.

Senior consultants, including Dr Girish Kazi, met a couple of days ago and decided that none of them would label any disease before laboratory tests. They said they would get in touch with the association president who would issue a statement only after confirmatory tests.

8220;If we come across any unusual case we will discuss it among ourselves and send the samples for laboratory tests before naming the disease8221;, Dr Kazi told Express Newsline.

He is among those who are certain the 1994 epidemic was definitely not plague 8220;as spread by the media.8221; Dr Kazi claimed that when he confronted the World Health Organisation with substantial evidence against describing the disease as plague, they could not reply.

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If it was not plague what was it? The state government ensured through a notification that all suspected cases were admitted to the New Civil Hospital. 8220;We were never allowed access to the patients or samples. It was secrecy that killed all chances of diagnoses8221;, Dr Kazi said.

The 1994 scare had touched off a debate in the media with doctors calling each other names and outdoing each other in proving that their stand was correct. 8220;We ended up as laughing stocks8221;, said Dr Kirit Dumasia of the Family Physicians8217; Association.

The Surat branch of Indian Medical Association, on the other hand, has decided to maintain silence on the issue. Its chiefs reportedly consulted each other and dropped the idea of convening a meeting on the issue. 8220;Nobody should name any disease without taking multiple expert opinion. Clinical and pathological evidence should match. It is not proper to confirm any disease on provisional tests8221;, they said.

Dr Dumasia said they had learnt from the 1994 experience that differing statements by the medical fraternity created doubts and confusion among the common people. 8220;If we come across unusual cases, we should discuss it among ourselves instead of rushing to the Press with our conclusions8221;, he said.

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The Surat General Practitioners8217; Association. too, hasn8217;t taken any stand on the issue but its members will meet late tonight to decide 8220;how we can be useful to society8221;.