SURAT, SEPT 22: Exactly four years after the outbreak of the killer disease - experts are yet to reach a consensus on whether it was plague - 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 (NICD) said on Monday the samples of rodent viscera sent to it by the Surat district administration did not show evidence of plague bacterium. All the reports were negative, the NICD said.On September 21, 1994, the first case was reported from Ved Road area, triggering a scare that brought 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 as to whether the killer disease was actually plague or not. The disease and the quarantine it brought for the city cost Surat heavily in terms ofindustrial losses of hundreds of crores of rupees before a magnificent turnaround during S R Rao's tenure as municipal commissioner.Senior consultants, including Dr Girish Kazi, met a couple of days ago and decided that none of them would label any disease before receiving conclusive laboratory test results. They said they would get in touch with the association president, who would issue a statement only after confirmatory tests.``If we come across any unusual case we will discuss it among ourselves and send the samples for laboratory tests before naming the disease'', Dr Kazi told The Indian Express.He is among those who are certain the 1994 epidemic was not plague, ``as spread by the media.'' Dr Kazi claimed that when he confronted the World Health Organisation with substantial evidence against describing the disease as plague, they could not reply.If it was not plague, then, what was it? The State Government ensured through a notification that all suspected cases were admitted to theNew Civil Hospital. ``We were never allowed access to the patients or samples. It was secrecy that killed all chances of diagnoses'', Dr Kazi said.The 1994 scare had sparked off a debate in the media, with doctors calling each other names and proving their stand was correct. ``We ended up as laughing stocks'', said Dr Kirit Dumasia of the Family Physicians' Association.The Indian Medical Association's Surat branch, 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. ``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 tests'', 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 people. ``If we come across unusual cases, we should discuss it among ourselvesinstead of rushing to the Press with our conclusions'', he said.The Surat General Practitioners' Association, too, has not taken a stand on the issue but its members will meet late tonight to decide, ``how we can be useful to society''.Meanwhile, Union Textiles Minister Kashiram Rana has sought an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the recent flood in his home district of Surat and the administration's role in handling the tragedy.Rana told reporters that a probe was needed into the release of water from the Ukai dam reservoir that caused the flood and also to ensure that no such incident occurs in future.He said the norms for risk management at Ukai should also be reviewed. He admitted that the people were ``angry'' in Surat but denied they misbehaved with him. He said there was no possibility of an epidemic, including plague, as the cleanliness drive would be complete in two days. The floods in Surat had claimed 18 lives and caused a loss of around Rs 3,000 crore, he said.Rana saidmost of the looms and machines in the textile units of Surat had been badly damaged due to the floods.Regretting the administration's ``slackness in the beginning'', the minister said a probe was also required into reports that some `responsible officers' were on leave when the city was flooded.It was, however, upto the State Government to consider if they should be transferred. Giving details of the funds for relief work, Rana said each of the affected families was being paid upto Rs 1,500 as cash dole. There was no paucity of funds in this regard, he added.
