Zika Scare: 4-member team from centre to camp in Jaipur

On Friday, a high level team from Centre arrived Jaipur. The four-member team comprising of experts from Emergency Medical Relief Director (MoHFW) National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP) and AIIMS will camp in the state for next 5 days. However, when contacted by DNA, no team member was willing to share the work-plan. “As per direction from union ministry of health and family welfare, they will review public health measures, including containment and surveillance being undertaken by the state health department,” an official said.

15 people have been found Zika infected in Jaipur, with their numbers set to go up as report on 7 more suspects is awaited. The doctors and state officials point to the health department’s comatose working style which is reflecting in its failure to contain the alarming spread of the vector-borne virus. The department is not even adhering to the World Health Organisation (WHO) norms that warrant procedural checkpoints to ensure containment of the disease.

Survey continues at slow pace

As per official information by health department, 352 teams are conducting survey and screening in 3 km periphery at Shastri Nagar area where the first case was found on September 22. But in the time period of a fortnight, 12,865 houses have been screened so far while total 40,000 houses are to be screened. During the survey 664 fever patients and 447 pregnant have been found. As per protocol samples of all these should to be taken for testing but samples of only 67 fever patients and 96 pregnant women have been collected.

WHO norms not being followed

As per the WHO protocol, samples of all pregnant women found in the affected area during the survey should be taken and tested for the virus. According to official data with the state health department, 358 pregnant women were found in the area out of which only 36 samples have been taken so far.

The protocol also says that the infected pregnant women should be kept under continuous surveillance. But the state health officials are yet to conduct sonography of any pregnant woman in the area. Similarly, samples of people found suffering from fever in affected area should be tested for the virus. The teams have collected only 45 samples of persons suffering from fever, though 513 have been found with fever in the area.

Focus on survey, not prevention

The state government is solely concentrating on surveying and screening the infected area of Shastri Nagar where most of the cases have been reported from, so far.

“The medical and health officer hasn’t taken any prevention and protection measures to avert a possible outbreak of the disease,” a government official said. The health department officials, however, say they have limited resource pool which they are presently engaging in screening the affected areas and identifying the possible suspects.

No instructions to districts

A 17-year-old Zika positive case detected in Shastri Nagar area of Jaipur had travelled to Nohar in Hanumangarh district and stayed there for two days. The patient has since returned to Jaipur but the health
department which had screened and identified him had no clue of his whereabouts.

“There has been no written communication so far from the health department to its officials posted at Hanumangarh. His travel is dangerous as it exposes people living in other cities to the risk of contracting the deadly virus,” a doctor with SMS medical college told DNA.

Out of the latest samples collected at the SMS Hospital during routine Dengue, Chikungunya surveillance, 3 are from Bharatpur, Dausa and Shahpura. There are no directions to these districts on tackling the disease. Unlike dengue and Chikungunya, the Zika doesn’t have a known antidote or cure.

Number Likely To Surge

15 people have been found Zika infected, with their numbers set to go up as report on 7 more suspects is awaited. The doctors and officials point to the health department’s comatose working style which is reflecting its failure to contain the alarming spread of the vector-borne virus.
As per official information by health department, 352 teams are conducting survey and screening in 3 km periphery at Shastri Nagar area where the first case was found on September 22.
But in the time period of a fortnight, 12,865 houses have been screened so far while total 40,000 houses are to be screened.

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