SRINAGAR Twenty seven people died due to swine flu in Jammu and Kashmir this year so far, government of India informed parliament on Friday. In all, 1076 people died of the H1N1 influenza in India and highest number of deaths occurred in Rajasthan (205) followed by Maharastra with 189 deaths and 146 in Madhya Pradesh.
Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said 438 H1N1 cases were registered and of them 27 people died.
In a total, he said 26,140 cases were registered and 1,076 deaths have been reported in India due to Seasonal Influenza (H1N1) till June 23.
He said as per the Constitutional provisions, health is a State subject and primary responsibility of health matters rest with the States and UTs. However, the Central Government has been closely monitoring the Seasonal Influenza situation and have been in regular touch with the States and UTs on the issues and have taken numerous measures to contain and manage the Seasonal Influenza (H1N1), he said.
The situation, he said, was reviewed by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare on 25 April 2018 and 16 October 2018 and by Union Health Secretary on 6 February this year and at the level of Union Additional Secretary (Health) on 21 January 2019.
Regular Video conferences are held with the nodal officers for H1N1 in high case reporting States and preparedness is reviewed on regular basis.
The situation of the Seasonal Influenza is also regularly reviewed by the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) under the chairmanship of Director General of Health Service (DGHS).
He said state governments have also been advised for vaccination of health care workers dealing with H1N1 cases.
All the States have been advised to complete the procurement of required logistics for managing seasonal influenza A (H1N1) from State budget. However, during crisis in States, Govt. of India is supplying logistics (drugs, PPE kits, N-95 face masks).
In 2019, Govt. of India has supplied the logistics to Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh, he said.
A Public Health Team was deputed in 2019 to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand to assess the situation and assist the States in strengthening response to the increase in cases.
He said advisory for preparedness to seasonal influenza A (H1N1) was issued time to time. Last advisory was issued on 13 March 2019 to major affected States.
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and its State units have enhanced the surveillance for Influenza like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI), he said. During the year 2018, 3 batches of training were organized on ventilator management and management of critically ill influenza patients in the months of May and June,2018 in which 14 States with 102 participants were oriented. Further, he said, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme(IDSP) assisted lab network of 12 Laboratories are providing laboratory support in terms of testing, quality assurance, guidance, providing viral transport mediums and diagnostic reagents. The diagnostic capacity has also been strengthened by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) through more than 41 Virus Research Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) to test clinical samples (6 labs are common to both IDSP and ICMR).
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