Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Central delegation visits Sabarimala

PATHANAMTHITTA: A special team of the Union Ministry of Health visited Sabarimala on Thursday and Friday to inspect the healthcare facility at the pilgrim centre on the basis of a request by the State government seeking Central assistance. The Central team was led by Joint Director of the National Institute for Vector Control Diseases Jagvir Singh.

The team expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by the Health Department, especially to check the spread of A(H1N1) influenza at Sabarimala. The team also visited the cardiology centres at Appachimedu and Nelimala-Top. Mr. Singh said healthcare facility at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital should be strengthened, besides ensuring uninterrupted water supply to the hospital.

Launching an awareness campaign against A(H1N1) influenza threat at Pampa on the foothills of Sabarimala recently, Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy said the government had taken extra care to prevent the spread of the viral infection and to manage any A(H1N1) flu-related health problem.

She said Dinesh Arora, Deputy Health Secretary, had been deputed as Chief Health Co-ordinator and Additional Director of Health Services Anilkumar, joint co-ordinator at Sabarimala. ‘Health desks’ have been set up at different places at Sabarimala as well as at the base camps, railway stations and bus stations.

Talking to The Hindu, Dr. Arora said the Union government has allotted two lakh more Tamiflu tablets. With this, the stock of Tamiflu tablets in the State has gone up to 3.5 lakh, he added.

Dr. Arora said a 20-bed isolation ward for A(H1N1) patients had been set up at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital and a 10-bed isolation ward at the Speciality Hospital in Adoor.

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