In the wake of the increasing number of H1N1 cases in several States, the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat has asked the Department of Health and Family Welfare to immediately take up an awareness campaign in Mysuru city and rural areas. Six H1N1 deaths have been reported in Karnataka so far.
At a meeting with department officials at the office of the District Health Officer here on Saturday, ZP president Pushpa Amarnath said: “There is not much awareness about H1N1 among people. The department must take up a drive to educate people on the disease.”
She asked the officials to put up posters and banners with information on the disease at public places.
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With Mysuru being a tourist hub, steps should be taken in consultation with civic and other agencies that are involved in maintaining health and hygiene here, she added.
The department was also asked to deploy health workers at public places such as railway stations and bus terminals to educate the floating population.
People suffering from cold and fever should not neglect it and should immediately consult a doctor, she said and added that there was enough stock of medicines to treat H1N1 in district, taluk and private hospitals.
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A press release said PKTB Hospital, K.R. Hospital, JSS Hospital, BGS Apollo Hospital, Columbia Asia Hospital, Railway Hospital and ESI Hospital had been identified to treat H1N1 cases.
Blood samples of suspected cases were sent for testing to NIMHANS and Manipal Hospital.
In 2014, the blood samples of 97 people were sent for lab tests in Bengaluru. Of that, 21 tested positive for H1N1 and two persons died.
Samples sent
Samples of two suspected cases had been sent for lab tests from Mysuru district this year and reports are awaited, according to Nagaraj, District Surveillance Officer, Mysuru.