Hyderabad, May 08: The Central Government is ready to tackle the H1N1 flu if it spreads in the country, Union Minister Panabaka Lakshmi said here on Friday.
"We are maintaining adequate stocks of the Tamiflu drug.
We have alerted airports and a helpline has also been set up,"
Lakshmi told reporters, after inspecting the arrangement made
to handle the disease at the government Chest hospital, here.
The Centre is taking all precautionary measures though
there are no confirmed cases of the disease in the country,
said the Union Minister of State for Health.
Over 35,000 international passengers have been screened
at the 21 international airports so far, she said.
The government is also conducting a campaign that retail
sale of Oseltamivir Phosphate (Tamiflu), the only known drug
for treatment of H1N1 influenza, is not permitted in the
country and that it shall be distributed free through public
health network in case of need, the minister said.
Seven suspected cases of the virus have been referred to
the hospital of which six have been found negative. Samples of
another NRI has been sent for tests, she said.
Over 2,000 confirmed cases of the disease have been
reported from all over the world with 44 deaths, Lakshmi said.
Bureau Report
