Mumbai, Jan 28: Amid the outbreak of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the administration to make special arrangements in government hospitals to treat patients.

He reviewed the present ground-level situation about the GBS during the presentation made by the public health department at the weekly cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.

The chief minister’s office said in a statement that GBS patients are being treated but he has instructed that special arrangements should be made in government hospitals to ensure that the patients get proper treatment. The treatment for this disease is included in the state health insurance scheme the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana. If any further procedures are required, they should be done by the Public Health Department.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that instructions have already been issued to the administration that patients in Pune city should be treated at the Kamla Nehru Hospital of the Pune Municipal Corporation and at the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

State’s health minister Prakash Abitkar clarified that GBS is a rare disease and it is not contagious as it occurs due to decreased immunity.

“A review has been conducted in Pune regarding this. Instructions have been given regarding treatment and examination. Accordingly, action is being taken by the state Public Health Department and the Health Department of both the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations,” he added.

According to the minister, there are currently 111 patients in Pune of which 80 patients are within a radius of five km. About 35,000 houses and 94,000 citizens have been tested with the help of the National Institute of Virology. He said that one death has been reported but it is not yet confirmed that it was due to GBS.

Medical education minister Hasan Mushrif asked the administration to effectively implement the SOP to prevent the outbreak of the GBS virus. Also, the daily updated information on GBS patients should be submitted to the Commissioner of Medical Education and Research Department. Mushrif said that awareness should be created among the citizens about the preventive measures regarding this virus. This will help in preventing the spread of the virus. He also said that the health system should also make available the necessary medicine supply and equipment.

The public health department said it has taken a slew of measures including a visit by a state-level rapid response team to the affected area immediately, instructions given to the Pune Municipal Commissioner and rural district authorities to increase surveillance activities, 44 stool samples which were sent to NIV Pune tested for enteric virus panel.

According to the Public Health Department, it is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. It is characterised by muscle weakness, and in severe cases, paralysis. The common symptoms of GBS include sudden weakness in hands or legs, paralysis, trouble while walking or weakness with sudden onset and Diarrhea (for sustained periods).

Further, the public health department has appealed to the citizens not to panic but visit a government hospital in case any symptom is seen. Citizens should also implement preventive measures including drinking boiled water, and consumption of fresh and clean food items. Besides, the department has suggested that cooked and uncooked food items should not be kept together to avoid infection and emphasis should be laid on personal hygiene.

--IANS

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