HYDERABAD: With swine flu assuming alarming proportions, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao swung into action Wednesday and sought Central assistance to prevent further spread of the virus even while assuring the people that there was no need to panic.
Taking note of media reports on the increasing incidence of the flu, Rao rang up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also spoke with Union Health Minister JP Nadda. The Prime Minister responded positively and rushed a three-member expert team to Hyderabad to assess the situation and guide the State government.
The Chief Minister, who held a series of meetings with health department officials, representatives of corporate hospitals and also chaired an emergency Cabinet meeting, said he had urged the Centre to send medical teams and requisite medicines to the State.
Sources said he flew into a rage at the review meetings with health department officials for their failure in taking effective measures to prevent the spread of the flu and also for not briefing him properly on a daily basis on the situation. Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Rao appealed to the people not to get panicky and asserted the situation was under control. “I thank the PM and the Union Health Minister for their swift response. There is no epidemic. At present, there are only 20-30 cases and only 19 deaths have been reported so far in the State,” he said and advised people to follow personal hygiene, which he pointed out, will prevent the spread of the flu. He also advised the people to rush to the nearest hospital, if they have symptoms of the flu and cautioned them against taking vaccines as a preventive measure as they could have side-effects.
“We are arranging separate wards for swine flu patients in all the districts. When a case is reported in a particular area (in city), GHMC staff will sterilise the area,” Rao said. Explaining the measures being taken, he said corporate hospitals have been permitted to import swine flu testing equipment. “Currently, the Centre is procuring and supplying them to States. We have asked the Centre to send more machines. Modi assured us to send the same,” Rao said and also announced that swine flu has been brought under Arogyasri.