State Health dept rolls out slew of steps to tackle Swine Flu

Hyderabad: In view of criticism from High Court and some sections in the handling of dengue fevers this season, and with the State recording second-most number of positive cases in the entire country, the Telangana Health Department has geared up to tackle Swine Flu, whose impact is most in the winter season.

Stocks of vaccines and medicines, testing equipment, safety gear like protective masks etc have been dispatched to State hospitals in all districts.

Speaking on this subject, Health Minister Eatala Rajender said that instructions have been given to all DMHOs to set up separate wards for treatment of patients coming with Flu symptoms including Swine Flu, Bird Flu and other ailments like pneumonia, severe cold etc.

In all 500-beds would be allocated specifically for the treatment of Flu patients in government hospitals.

The Health Minister also appealed to the public not to spend lakhs of rupees on treatments in private hospitals. He reminded that government hospitals have qualified doctors, all testing and lab equipment and medicines and people should make good use of them.

Rajender said that plans are afoot to strengthen secondary care hospitals in all districts as the tertiary care hospitals are extending better treatments. Further, he pointed out that government hospitals would have more treatments under Aarogyasri than private hospitals so that patients keep flocking the government hospitals.

He said that deliveries in government hospitals have increased to 55 per cent at present as against 30 per cent seen earlier.

Rajender said that strict action would be taken against health department officials and staff if found to indulge in irregularities. He wanted them to make use of their position to extend good healthcare to citizens.

To identify Cancer diseases in early stages, the number of scanning centres were being increased and also all teaching hospitals are being equipped with cancer departments and treatments.

A two-day meeting has been called by the Health and Family Welfare Commissioner with DMHOs of all districts to discuss health-related issues, preparedness and needs of the department among other things. Eatala Rajender attended the day-long meeting held at Koti on Tuesday.