New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) Amid rising cases of H3N2 infection across the country, Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP) has set up a 20-bed isolation ward for H3N2. The isolation ward has the arrangements of oxygen, BiPAP machines, ventilators.
LNJP director Dr Suresh Kumar said that a separate isolation ward has been set up with 20 beds for H3N2 patients with the arrangements of oxygen, BiPAP machines, ventilators. A team of 15 specialist doctors have been deployed round the clock for the patients.
In the last few days, the number of patients coming to LNJP OPD has increased considerably. Earlier, 1200-1300 patients used to come every day in OPD, now there are about 1600 patients every day. About 400 children used to come to the OPD earlier, now about 600 children are coming every day.
“Although it is not that all of them are infected with H3N2 virus. Whatever suspected patient is seen, we send his sample for RTPCR test. However, so far no patients have been admitted to the hospital with H3N2,” the hospital administration said.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry said that a real-time surveillance of cases of Influenza like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) presenting in OPDs and IPDs of health facilities is undertaken by Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“Oseltamivir is the drug recommended by WHO. The drug is made available through the Public Health System free of cost. Government has allowed sale of Oseltamivir under Schedule H1 of Drug and Cosmetic Act in February 2017 for wider accessibility and availability,” the ministry had said in a statement.
–IANS
avr/uk/
