Newmai News Network
IMPHAL, March 9
Health services authority in Manipur have intensified its surveillance on spread of Swine Flu after two more people suspected to have been infected by the dreaded admitted in the hospital.
The first case of swine flu was confirmed in Manipur on March 6 with HRL laboratories in Mumbai confirming the sample of a 35-year-old woman patient to be positive. The woman has tested positive for H1N1 virus.
She is being treating in the isolation ward of a hospital of Imphal. Her condition was improving, according to director of state health services Okram Ibomcha Singh.The director said today that throat swabs of two more people (a woman and a man) who have complaints of high fever and sore throat and admitted to the hospital have been collected and sent for confirmation test to the Mumbai-based laboratory.
Reports were awaiting, the director told media on the sideline of a review meeting with health officials of the state here in Imphal.
“We have taken adequate measures to deal with an outbreak of swine flu,” the director said while reiterating that the health department has already opened surveillance cells in all the district headquarters and one at the state level here.
He said the condition of the woman, who is undergoing treatment at\ the hospital since February 27, is improving. As preventive measures, anti-swine flu vaccinations havebeen given to all the doctors and nurses who are treating the suspected patients, he added.
He further said that investigation was on to find the source of virus that infected the woman who had confirmed the H1N1 virus.
Asserting that state’s two major hospitals, RIMS and JNIMS, were ready to admit patients suffering from swine flu, the director appealed to contact surveillance cells being running in all district headquarters.
Saying that prevention is better than cure and now that Swine Flu is spreading like wildfire in the country, Ibomcha said “we need to come up with some proactive measures so that we are not a victim of the deadly disease.”
The director reminded 10 tips which one can do to protect from the virus and asked to wash one’s hands frequently using antibacterial soaps.
Getting enough sleep, keeping hydrated with plenty of water, boosting immune system, keeping inform, avoiding alcohol, be physically active, keeping away from sick people were among other tips the director reminded.
He added that his department was taking necessary steps to prevent the pandemic and periodically release guidelines to keep the pandemic away and appealed to make sure to keep up to date on the information and act in a calm manner.
