HYDERABAD: Playing down fears over the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), Health Minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha on Monday said it is not a new virus and that it was discovered in 2001.
He chaired a high-level review meeting with senior health officials, DMHOs and superintendents of government hospitals. The minister said that since the outbreak of the virus in China this year, the health ministry was reviewing the situation in other countries and states regularly.
The virus spreads to others through droplets from the mouth when an infected person coughs or sneezes, he said. The minister further said that state health officials were coordinating with Union health authorities on the situation.
Damodar asserted that there was no need to panic about the virus at the moment, but urged people to remain careful as he stressed that all types of medical facilities were available in the state. The government and the Health department are ready to face any situation, he added.
“Senior health and district officials have been alerted to further strengthen the disease surveillance system and to be ready with all kinds of resources. The government will take serious cognisance of dissemination of false and baseless information on social media”, the minister added, urging the public not to fall for false information.
He emphasised the effective implementation of the Clinical Establishment Act in all private hospitals. Furthermore, he instructed district government hospital superintendents to assume responsibility for the successful operation of Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) clinics established.
Earlier in the day, at the Pharmacy and E-Medicine Workshop at MCRHRD, Damodar announced the formation of a three-member committee in each district. These committees will be responsible for the regular monitoring of medicine supply irregularities in government hospitals and pharmacies.