New equipment soon to fight swine flu: Telangana chief secretary tells HC

HYDERABAD: Telangana chief secretary Somesh Kumar has informed the high court that they had brought in new testing machines called as TrueNAT H1N1 machines that will ascertain whether or not a person is affected with swine flu within one hour.
TrueNAT H1N1 is a chip based real-time micro polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for H1N1 ( Swine-Flu). The state has placed an order for supplying 14 such machines and they will arrive in the first week of March.
These testing equipment will be installed in government hospitals at King Koti and Barkas in Hyderabad. Similarly in various district hospitals and community centres all over the state too will be equipped with these testing machines. Asifabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Nagarkurnool, Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthi, Bhongir, Kamareddy, Ranga Reddy, Medchal, Sangareddy and Peddapalli hospitals which will get these test machines will be able to test people with symptoms of swine flu and ascertain whether they were affected with the virus or not, the CS said in his report furnished to the court.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan while hearing PILs filed by Dr Karuna and advocate Rapolu Bhaskar earlier sought a report from the CS as to how the state was acting to arrest the spread of dreaded virus like swine flu and dengue. It was in this backdrop the CS furnished this report.
The CS in his report also said that they tested 253 samples in government hospitals out of which 26 turned out to be swine flu positive. Out of 1200 samples tested in private hospitals 161 proved positive, the report said.
An isolation ward was set up to isolate and treat swine flu patients in Hyderabad’s government TB and chest hospital. Apart from sensitizing government doctors and para medical staff all over the state, we also involved the private medical sector in the fight against virus, the CS said.
The bench while appreciating the efforts of the state to be vigilant on the new threats like coronavirus and to deal with them too in an effective manner. In addition to this they undertook a massive public awareness campaign too asking people to do their bit and act as responsible citizens.