Kashmir-Army, paramilitary hospitals on high alert

Wasim Khalid Srinagar, Aug 11: After first confirmed case of Swine Flu was detected in the State, military and paramilitary hospitals in the State have been instructed to remain on alert to face any eventuality. Besides tourists, the troopers move inside and outside of the State on almost regular basis. “The risk rate of them carrying the H1N1 Influenza is very high,” health officials said, adding, “The troopers arriving in Kashmir should be screened for the Flu”. “The troopers can prove to be potential carrier of the disease to the State,” a doctor said, adding, “It becomes imperative for government to screen all those people including troopers. Otherwise, it can prove disastrous, if they took this aspect lightly”. Udhampur based army spokesman, Col D K Kachari told Rising Kashmir that military hospitals have been instructed to remain on alert across Jammu and Kashmir. He said, “We have instructed army hospitals to maintain surveillance and vigilance to detect any Swine Flu case. The army medical services have been directed to look out for any swine flu cases. Till now, no such case has surfaced among the troopers anywhere in the state”. Asked whether troopers returning after spending their leave are being screened before joining the field units, he said, “The disease has remained restricted. There has been no outbreak of disease as such. We are looking for symptoms, if any, to take remedial measures”. The army hospitals, according to him, are fully equipped to deal with the Swine flu cases. On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir government sounded the Swine Flu alert in all three regions of the State after a female student tested positive in Jammu. The CRPF has received instructions from New Delhi to keep their hospitals ready to meet any challenge posed by the swine flu. “We have placed our hospitals on alert. So far no case of Swine flu has been reported among CRPF men,” CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi said. He said they are making their men aware about the disease and its symptoms. “We have told them that if anybody complains about cough, sneezing, nausea and giddiness, he should immediately report it to doctors” he said. Tripathi said CRPF personnel returning to Kashmir after spending their vacations in home are being properly screened by field officers. “If anybody is detected with having cough or any other symptom of flu, he is sent to doctors,” he added. He, however, said they have not started full fledged screening to ascertain about flu. “We are not taking samples or any such test,” Tripathi said. A BSF official said they have also set up proper mechanism in their hospitals to deal with the flu. There are around seven lakh army and paramilitary troops deployed in the state. Bulk of manpower, comprising of troops deployed in the state, come from outside states. The troop movement inwards and outwards, for various official and unofficial purposes, has been a regular feature. The swine flu has so far claimed 10 lives in India. Around 851 people have been detected positive. Among all the major cities where flu has been found, Pune has been the worst affected.