NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

First Confirmed Swine Flu Case in Kashmir, Girl Tests Positive

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Aug 11: The Kashmir region registered its first confirmed Swine Flu case on Tuesday after a college girl tested positive for the pandemic.

Addressing media here, Kashmir Health minister Sham Lal Sharma a college girl, who returned from Indian city of Pune has tested positive. "She had returned to spend her vacations with her family in the Jammu region. Her blood and saliva tests were sent to a testing centre outside Kashmir and the tests confirmed that she was suffering from H1N1 influenza," the minister said.

He said that she is the first Swine flu case in the region. "10 suspected cases have been reported so far and she is the only to have tested positive", he said.

He said the government has taken all necessary measures for screening, surveillance, isolation and treatment for dealing with the Swine Flu viral. "These include screening of national/international flights coming from different parts of the country and abroad. The Rapid Monitoring/Response Teams consisting of trained medical and para-medical staff deployed at the Airports of Jammu, Srinagar and Leh are screening all individuals who are arriving from foreign countries. Isolation wards have also been established at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh Airports," he said.

He said that till date, 30,736 passengers coming from different Indian States and foreign countries have been screened for the purpose.

"In order to assess the situation, a special medical team from New Delhi has arrived in Kashmir to supervise and monitor the steps being taken by the authorities for controlling the dreaded disease and also for assisting the health functionaries of the State to extend precautionary measures to the people," he said.

Regarding stocks available, he said that adequate medicines and equipments are available with health department which include tablets, PPE Triple Layer Masks, N95 Masks, Ear digital thermometer.

Appealing both print and electronic media for playing an effective role in propagating the message regarding the spread of this dreaded virus, the minister stressed for all out efforts to create awareness among every individual of the State to prevent themselves from the disease.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.