NEW DELHI: Amid the surge in influenza cases in the capital, health minister Pankaj Kumar Singh on Tuesday said that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has called for an emergency review meeting.
While assuring that the situation was under control with adequate doctors and medicines, the minister said that the city has reported around 3,000 influenza cases this year, which include 2,308 H1N1 infections.
“There is no problem with doctors, staff or medicines. The CM has called an emergency review meeting. I assure you there is no problem; everything is under control,” Singh said at a press conference after a review meeting with senior officials of the health department, MCD, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board.
He said the meeting was held to review the arrangements and preparedness for H1N1, seasonal influenza, and vector-borne diseases. “There is no need for panic. Patients are being treated and are recovering too. Isolation wards have been created in every hospital. If any patient complains of not being provided a bed, action will be taken against the hospital,” the minister said.
The government’s influenza preparedness measures are focused on ensuring adequate hospital beds, medicines and intensive care facilities, along with strengthening public awareness, he said. “There is currently no indication of an outbreak, epidemic or pandemic situation,” an official who attended the meeting said.
For the MCD, the immediate responsibility is largely about information, education and communication (IEC) activities rather than treatment or hospital preparedness. The civic body has been asked to intensify public messaging on influenza prevention through campaigns. The MCD field staff has also been asked to sensitise residents during house-to-house visits on preventive measures.
H1N1 infection, commonly known as swine flu, usually presents with fever, cough, sore throat, headache, body aches and fatigue. Those with persistent high fever, breathing difficulty, chest pain or worsening symptoms are advised to seek medical attention promptly.
An official said dengue and vector-borne diseases were a key focus of the meeting, with the MCD directed to step up field-level measures ahead of the peak transmission period.