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| State duty bound to ensure healthy life of its citizens: HC | | Directs implementation of recommendations to control swine flu | | Early Times Report
srinagar, Mar 18: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed state government and Union Health Ministry to implement recommendations made by a committee headed by Director SKIMS to control swine flu in the state.
"Right to live a healthy life is one of the essential components and facets of life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The State is duty bound to take all necessary measures, enabling its citizens to live a healthy life, a division bench of the court comprising Justice M H Attar and Justice A M Magrey said and directed that recommendations made by the committee constituted by the Court shall be implemented by the State Government as also by the Central Government.
"The (governments) shall take necessary steps for implementing the recommendations as any delay will have catastrophic impact on the lives of the people of the State," the bench said while hearing a Public Interest Litigation.
The committee has submitted it would be ideal to vaccinate everybody in the months of September and October against the disease while high risk groups like health care workers, children less than five years of age, pregnant females, elderly people, people with comorbidities like chronic heart disease cancers etc be immunized on propriety basis during the months of September and October.
It also recommended that a 50-bed Infectious Hospital be allotted to SKIMS for which land stands already identified It is also Stated that SKIMS has man power and other infrastructure in place for establishing such a hospital. It is also stated that the hospital being a faculty of HINI influenza, shall also take care of other diseases like Ebola, Multi-drug resistant Tuberculoses which are even bigger threats to the human life. It also recommended that after establishing such a facility in SKIMS, such facility shall further be established in other Hospitals up to the level of District hospitals.
The committee further recommended that special budget shall be kept available for procurement of N95 masks, Tamiflu capsules, reagents for testing and vaccines.
"Vaccines shall be made available in the market also for common people. The Tamiflu shall be available in all hospitals including district hospitals but should not be kept available in the open market because of possibility of it being misused," the committee said.
The committee also recommended that in addition to provision of establishing of labs to GMC Srinagar, testing facility at SKIMS needs to be augmented.
A sub-committee has been constituted for conducting public awareness programmes about the HINI influenza and protective measures adopted, the committee said.
"The sub-committee in consultation with Directorate of Health Services, will formulate advisories for school which include guidelines like, if a child has flue like symptoms, he be directed to stay at home for three days post fever, school need to have surveillance programme in position for which they will nominate a nodal officer who will co-ordinate with above sub-committee /Authorities of the said area."
It also submitted that if a teacher complains of flu-like symptoms and asks for any leave, the same shall be got certified by a committee of physicians to be nominated by the Director Health Services Kashmir at every District and sub-District Level.
The committee has also recommended that all children between six months to two years of age (high risk) shall be vaccinated against the flu and other healthy children from two years onwards the vaccine is optional.
The division bench also placed on record its appreciation for Director SKIMS, Dr. Showkat Ahmad Zargar, and members of the committee, who rose to the occasion and exhibited sensitivity and commitment to the cause of people in making recommendations to the Government without loss of time. |
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