Politics over Swine Flu heats up in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: Swine Flu has reached epidemic proportions in Rajasthan and is also the latest challenge for the newly formed Ashok Gehlot government. 

Out of the 33 districts in the state, 31 are fighting the spread of the flu.

In the first 20 days of January, 51 deaths have taken place and around 1,233 have been tested positive. 

After Zika, Rajasthan has now become the number one state in the country when it comes to Swine Flu cases.

The issue took a political turn with former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje attacking the Congress government over its “failure” to tackle the spread of the disease.

Gehlot’s home town Jodhpur has reported the maximum number of cases and 21 deaths.

Five deaths have been reported from Jaipur, three from Sikar, Nagaur, Udaipur and one death from Ajmer, Tonk, Pali, Jalore, Bikaner, Churu, Rajsamand and Sriganganagar, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Pratapgarh. 

The BJP attacked the Congress and said that there is no facility for screening at railway stations and schools. 

Raje alleged that around 2,000 H1N1 cases have surfaced across the country and 1,175 of them were from Rajasthan. 

“Had the Congress-led government been alert, swine flu would not have claimed so many lives,” said Raje. 

Health Minister Raghu Sharma said that of the 5,367 samples tested, 1,233 have come out positive. The government has started three special screening programmes and claimed that one lakh strong team is screening and distributing medicines. Each team has to survey 200 houses and create isolation wards in hospitals. Leaves of doctors have been cancelled.

In his counter-attack, Gehlot said that the numbers have gone up due to the previous BJP regime’s carelessness.

“BJP’s Mandalgarh MLA died of Swine Flu,” he said. Gehlot added his government is putting its best efforts to fight the flu.

“We have created labs here. Earlier, samples were sent to Pune or Delhi for testing.”