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Bhubaneswar, March 4: A day after Swine flu claimed the life of a person, taking the toll to five, the state government Wednesday held a review meeting to enhance measures to contain the spread of H1N1 virus.
Participating in the review meeting with officials of health and other concerned departments, Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak directed the officials to expedite the process of creating public awareness and urged the people not to panic.
According to official sources, the Minister has asked officials to expedite the awareness campaign in every school and college rigorously about swine flu and the precautions required to curb the spread of the dreaded disease.
When the officials explained that adequate manpower and stock of drugs and medicines are available in the state and isolation wards at the three medical colleges and two district hospitals have been created, the minister told the officials to increase the stock of drugs along with taking other precautionary measures.
The H1N1 virus has been gradually spreading its tentacles and the menace is taking endemic shape. The latest victim was a 56-year-old woman, a resident of Bhubaneswar, who had come from Berhampur. Her swab samples tested positive for the virus February 26. Since then she was under treatment at an isolation ward of a private clinic here.
The high-level meeting held at the state secretariat revealed that 15 swab samples out of 101 examined by the Regional Medical Research Centre have been found positive for swine flu. Five persons have died during this season, the official sources said.
Besides swine flu, Nayak also took stock of jaundice situation in the state which had triggered bewilderment among the people. Health officials said the state government has managed to bring the spread of Jaundice under control and public awareness programmes are in progress.
