E-Paper
Gastroenteritis patients identified in GBS-affected areas reluctant to give samples to PMC officials
The PMC began its door-to-door survey of GBS-affected areas on January 22 and covered as many as 45,574 people as part of its survey
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials instructed by Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) experts to send samples of Gastroenteritis patients identified during surveillance of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)-affected areas are facing resistance during sample collection from individuals suffering from diarrhoea.
The PMC began its door-to-door survey of GBS-affected areas on January 22 and covered as many as 45,574 people as part of its survey. During the survey, as many as 168 Gastroenteritis patients were identified in GBS-affected areas such as Sinhagad Road, Nande Village, Kirkitwadi, Dhayari and DSK Vishwa among others. ICMR-NIV experts on January 31 instructed PMC officials to send blood and stool samples of these Gastroenteritis patients.
As per PMC official data, out of the 168 Gastroenteritis patients identified, only 34 provided their blood samples whereas only 16 provided their stool samples. The rest of the patients were reluctant to provide samples, forcing PMC officials to scrap the sample collection process.
Dr Vaishali Jadhav, assistant health officer of the PMC, said that these patients had Gastroenteritis but have now recovered due to which they are reluctant to give their samples. “The survey nurses and ASHA workers collecting the samples are not known to the people living in these areas. The survey staff conduct surveys in other areas and citizens cooperate with them. However, these affected areas are from the villages newly merged with the PMC,” Dr Jadhav said.
Dr Nina Borade, PMC health chief, informed that sample collection is voluntary and that they cannot force these individuals to give their samples for testing. Hence, such individuals have been asked to give in writing that they don’t want to give their samples. “The health team tried their best to convince these patients to give their samples. However, they have been firm about not wanting to give their samples,” she said.
