Influenza A (H1N1) (swine flu) has claimed 216 lives in the State since January 2009, and Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday instructed all urban civic bodies to give priority to maintain hygiene to arrest the spread of the virus.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who chaired a review meeting of the Health Department here, told presspersons that the virus killed 135 people in 2009. The toll so far this year was 81, taking the overall figure to 216 since January last year. There were 3,000 confirmed A (H1N1) cases in Karnataka from January last year till August 13 this year, he said.
In the wake of widespread prevalence of dengue and chikungunya, Mr. Yeddyurappa instructed all district in-charge Ministers and MLAs to tour their constituencies and districts to control the diseases and ensure availability of medicines in government hospitals and primary health centres.
He asked Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath to arrange a video-conferencing on Wednesday with all deputy commissioners of the districts to take stock of the situation and assess the spread of dengue and chikungunya cases.
Mr. Yeddyurappa said cases of A(H1N1) were less this year compared to last year. The State was better placed compared to other States this count.
As many as 91 government and private hospitals in the city had been designated to treat A (H1N1) patients and four hospitals – National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore; Narayana Nethralaya, Command Hospital and KMC, Manipal — were equipped to conduct sample tests with results out on the same day.
Stating that there was no shortage of tamiflu tablets and vaccination, he said, a meeting would be convened every week under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to take stock of the situation in the State.
A total of 17,374 malaria cases had been reported from January to June against 36,859 cases last year. It claimed one life this year against eight last year. A total of 5,244 chikunguniya cases had been reported so far this year and 528 had been tested positive, he said.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been directed to step up fogging in the city and maintain cleanliness, Mr. Yeddyurappa said.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu, Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda, officials of the BBMP, top doctors and experts at the State-level and national-level attended the meeting.
