GANGTOK, 13 AUG: The state health department has decided to set up a dedicated isolation ward at the Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital (STNM) complex, in the wake of nationwide outbreak of the deadly Swine Flu. A team of specialist medics would monitor the ward between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m..
According to Mr Vijay Bhusan Pathak, commissioner-cum-secretary, state health department, an H1N1 screening and management team headed by Dr K Bhandari of the STNM would conduct all influenza related diagnosis and tests. The team underwent a three-week special training at the National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD), Delhi to contain the viral outbreak.
Mr Pathak further informed that the state and district level rapid response teams formed during the Bird Flu outbreak in March, would be pressed into action to avert the threat of H1N1 in the state.
The STNM hospital would have a five-bed isolation ward for the purpose while other district hospitals would have two beds in isolation in all four districts. Due to space constraints at the STNM hospital, the department has urged the Central Referral Hospital run by the Manipal group to accommodate 20 H1N1 patients if necessary. Suspected swab samples from the OPD and isolation centers would be collected at the STNM microbiology lab and have those tested at the NICD, Kolkata.
It is also informed that a team of doctors would conduct visual inspection of people entering the state through inter-state borders at Rangpo and Melli. “Anybody with related symptoms would be examined properly,” said Mr Pathak. Furthermore, all private medicine practitioners have been directed to refer any influenza case to the designated government hospitals.
An advisory has been issued to avoid visiting crowded places and follow standard sneezing and coughing etiquettes to avoid spread of H1N1. No cases of Influenza A H1N1 have been reported in Sikkim till date.
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