Mohali health alert: Hospitals asked to gear up to tackle swine flu

Civil surgeon directs government and private hospitals to make necessary arrangements and maintain isolation and flu corners

In an effort to control the spread of H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, the district health department has urged people with fever and sore throat to avoid crowded areas. All hospitals have been asked to maintain isolation wards and ‘flu corners’.

HT Image

The advisory, issued after department officials met government and private hospital doctors and Indian Medical Association representatives, also asked for enhanced surveillance of the virus.

The health department is prepared to tackle any situation and there are adequate medicines available in all the government facilities across the district, the civil surgeon said. (HT PHOTO)

Civil surgeon Dr Manjit Singh asked all government and private hospitals to maintain isolation wards and flu corners. Any person with fever, sore throat and experiencing breathing difficulty should immediately approach the nearest government hospital and not create panic as the virus can be contained if treated on time, he said.

“Maintain personal hygiene by washing hands properly, cover nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing and take healthy diet and adequate rest. If you are visiting any affected person, maintain some distance and it is better to avoid handshake,” the advisory read.

The health department is prepared to tackle any situation and there are adequate medicines available in all the government facilities across the district, the civil surgeon added.

Anyone identified or suspected to have been infected with the virus will be screened, investigated and treated as per government of India guidelines. Tamiflu medicine for H1N1 is available at all health institutions free of cost. Lab diagnostic test to confirm swine flu is also done free of cost. Nodal lab for testing is PGI, Chandigarh, read the advisory.