Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 8: JKNPP Chairman and former Education Minister Harsh Dev Singh has expressed grave concern over the recent spurt in Dengue and Swine Flu cases in the State, which are spreading with its lethal ferocity to various parts taking a toll of several lives.
Talking to media persons, here today, he said that the entire State had become highly vulnerable and needed urgent attention of heath authorities to cope with the deadly pandemics. He regretted the utter lack of concern and criminal negligence shown by the Health Department to take appropriate measures to deal with the fatal influenza despite it being almost a regular phenomena occurring every year. “The State Health Institutions do not have adequate investigative kits, labs, requisite drugs besides isolation wards so very essential to save the patients from this horrible disease,” he added.
Emphasizing the need for Swine Flu diagnostic labs in the State, he regretted that the blood samples of the suspected patients were still being sent to National Institute of Communicable Diseases in New Delhi which was a time consuming process and could complicate the problems of ailing patients. He reminisced that Rs 6.30 crore were sanctioned in the first Cabinet meeting of 2015 for establishing diagnostic lab for Swine Flu in Jammu but lamented that no action was taken in this regard by Health Deptt which had gone in hibernation. He further ridiculed the vague statements issued by the Health Deptt authorities of establishing surveillance centres at Airport, Railway Station and Lakhanpur so as to check the entry of patients carrying the deadly influenza, which were never implemented. He said that with number of patients multiplying with each passing day, the Health and Municipal Deptts had utterly failed to deal with the fast aggravating crisis resulting in an alarm in Jammu region.
Urging upon the Chief Minister to intervene so as to ensure provision of lab facilities, investigative kits and free drugs besides other requisite steps for arresting the spread of the killer virus, Harsh Dev Singh said that publicity campaigns need to be launched on war footing to promote precautionary measures like reporting to Hospitals any symptoms of high fever, sneezing cough and body pains.
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