Alerted by the increased deaths caused by confirmed swine flu (H1N1) in neighbouring Telangana, the Department of Health and Family Welfare in Raichur has embarked upon an awareness drive across the district, which shared border with Mahabubnagar district of the infected State. Addressing a media conference at his office here on Saturday, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr. Narayanappa said that his department would involve municipal and panchayat bodies at grassroots level campaign.
"No confirmed H1N1 cases have been reported so far from the district. Considering the migration and regular movement of people from and to Mahabubnagar district, where over 44 confirmed H1N1 deaths have been reported so far, the flu can at anytime spread to the district," he said.
As part of the campaign, leaflets would be distributed and hoardings erected at public places displaying a list of do's and don'ts, precautionary measures, and flu symptoms. The officer said that he would alert medical professionals, both in public and private sectors, with a list of directives on how to handle the threat. The department has ordered required medicine supplies worth Rs. 1 lakh to augment its stock and opened a separate ward at the teaching hospital attached to Raichur Institute of Medial Sciences, he added.
The department would also establish check-points at border roads connecting Mahabubnagar district for screening the passengers, he said.
"We will get a complete list of people who have died of confirmed H1N1 in Telangana along with their complete residential and workplace addresses and identify the places in our district which people from those infected areas have migrated to, so that a focused monitoring approach could be adopted," he said.
District Surveillance Officer Dr. Nagaraj and other officers were present.
