Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 24
After a long hiatus and 66 deaths across the country, the state government of Nagaland today surfaced to inform that an action plan has been drawn up by the state Health department to combat H1N1 (or “swine flu”) emergencies in Nagaland. The action plan for the H1N1 situation is said to be three-tiered with contingency levels ‘one,’ ‘two’ and ‘three’ depending on the magnitude of the situation.
Nagaland has so far not reported any H1N1 positive cases, fortunately. Earlier, as a “trial run,” two blood samples sent on August 6 have tested negative and another eight samples have been dispatched to Dibrugarh. Commissioner & Secretary for Health & Family Menokhol John, when contacted informed that the state has already drawn up an action plan to deal with any emergency related to H1N1. He said over phone that the state’s Health department has drawn up an action plan with action level-I, level-II and level-III. Currently Nagaland state is under level-I of the action plan as there are ‘no confirmed cases’ so far.
The Health official further informed that a district-level meeting of all the medical officers is being convened the day after, in the Directorate in Kohima where matter about H1N1 and the epidemic would be deliberated and reports taken from the various districts.
The H1N1 virus has so far claimed 66 lives in India. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India has published advertisements in the media about some do’s and don’ts with regard to the H1N1 situation.
The Union Health Ministry advised its citizens to cover their mouth and nose with a handkerchief or cloth while coughing or sneezing, to wash their hands with soap frequently before and after touching their noses, eyes or mouths.
It also directed the citizens to stay away from public places if they have fever or are coughing and sneezing. It advised the citizens to sleep well, stay physically active and effectively manage stress, drink plenty of water, eat nutritious food, and visit a doctor after covering the face with a cloth or mask if they have any flu like symptoms.
The Union Health Ministry also advised the citizens not to shake hands, hug, and kiss socially or use other contact greetings, take medicines without consulting the physician or to spit in public places.
The Union Health Ministry said that the symptoms of the H1N1 flu include fever cough, sore throat, running nose and difficulty in breathing. If the citizens detect such cases in their family or in the neighbourhood with the history of travel to the affected countries in the last 10 days, the Union Health Ministry asked the citizens to immediately contact the “Outbreak Monitoring Cell or call the National Institute of Communicable Diseases or call 011-23921401.
