In the wake of the first H1N1 related death in the state, a 24-hour control room was set up on Sunday to keep tabs on the rising number of swine flu cases.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting to check the preparedness and readiness to deal with a more intense level of the pandemic in the future. He, however, said there was no reason to panic or close down schools.
The Centre has been requested to authorise certain private hospitals and laboratories to conduct test for the deadly H1N1 virus. Tamiflu tablets and 250 reagent kits have been sought from the Centre.
Meanwhile, the blood and swab samples of a critical patient at the city-based Sterling Hospital have been sent for testing.
Of the total 61 suspected cases, 13 have been tested positive till date. The number of beds in the isolation wards across the state has also been increased to 300.
With the health authorities allowing patients to go in for quarantine at home, all suspected mild cases are no longer being brought to the hospitals.
The samples are being taken for detection to the BJ Medical level three laboratory and the patients are admitted only on being tested positive.
The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, the lone centre for testing of the virus, has also seen up-gradation of the security net around its premises.
“The security personnel have been put on a six-hourly qualitative rotation duty. They were earlier on an eight-hour duty.
Also, a total of 200 display boards (3x4 feet in size), demonstrating the six steps of handwash as per the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, have been put up at all wards, washrooms and operation theatres across the hospital,” said hospital administrator Dr Gautam Sharma.
He added: “Another 200 boards informing people about bio-medical waste segregation display has been put up at various locations in the hospital.”
