Govt asks private hospitals, docs to flag diphtheria cases in state

Jaipur: Integrated Academy of Paediatrics Lohagarh Society (IAPLS) in Bharatpur was approached by the state-level team assessing the spread of diphtheria in Deeg on Friday.
The team instructed private paediatricians to treat any case presenting with symptoms of fever, throat pain, and neck swelling as a potential diphtheria case and to promptly notify health department officials.
The health department on Thursday rushed two doctors who were awaiting positing orders at health directorate in Jaipur, to Deeg, which is currently grappling with diphtheria. Dr Anita Yadav and Dr Anirudh Singh are the pediatricians who will be deployed in Deeg.
As the health department heightens its surveillance efforts, two additional suspected diphtheria patients, an 11-year-old boy from Dausa and a three-year-old boy from Kaman, have been admitted to the district hospital in Bharatpur. Both children experienced throat pain and were administered anti-diphtheritic serum (ADS) as part of their treatment.
"The situation is under control now. We are ensuring that children get vaccinated. Also, we have taken measures to identify suspected cases early to prevent mortality. No death has been reported since Oct 12," stated Dr Sunit Ranawat, director (family welfare) of the health department, who is currently stationed in the affected area alongside Dr Raghuraj Singh, project director (immunisation), and Dr Devendra Sodhi, state nodal officer (immunisation), to address the gaps that led to the death of eight children.
The state-level team plans to visit the district hospital in Alwar to assess the health of a diphtheria patient receiving treatment.
They have instructed local health authorities to ensure that children in the area are adequately vaccinated against diphtheria to prevent a recurrence of the disease.