Task force formed to monitor adenovirus and H3N2 influenza

MP  |  11 Mar 2023 | Kolkata: State government on Saturday formed an 8-member task force with Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi as its chairman to supervise the works carried out to control adenovirus and also to monitor the treatment of the affected people. According to a government order, the task force will meet at regular intervals and supervise the arrangements for the treatment of affected persons in different hospitals and other aspects related with the control of the disease. 

Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi said that the situation is fully under control and the number of daily infections has been on the decline. 

“Earlier 800-900 cases were reported daily but the number has gone down below 600. A task force has been formed which will meet physically or virtually at 6 pm every day and monitor the situation of adenovirus and H3N2 influenza virus that has already impacted people across the country. The Centre has also issued an advisory to the state governments. 

The task force will monitor the genome mapping and examine where the cases are being reported,” Dwivedi said. He also added that ASHA workers have been surveying the districts. Those children who had comorbidities turned fatal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed to check unnecessary referrals of children from the districts. 

The matter was taken up with the district hospitals. The number of referral cases has gone down. 

A standard operating procedure (SoP) has been issued to all the district hospitals. State-level video conferencing has been done, Dwivedi said. Retired Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay has been given the post of chief advisor to the Chief Minister. The other members of the task force include the health secretary, secretary of the women and child development department, Director of Health Services, and Director of Medical Education. Dr Sukumar Mukherjee and Dr GK Dhali are also on the task force. According to the state government figure, there are more than 5000 beds in 121 hospitals in the state having facilities for the management of pediatric acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases with 600 paediatricians in dedicated services. There are 2476 SNCU beds, 654 PICU beds, 223 NICU beds across the state. 

Out of 5000 beds, around 2967 beds are occupied and 2033 are vacant. Around 10,999 acute respiratory infection cases in children have been admitted out of which 19 deaths have been reported due to adenovirus. 

Around 13 of these children had comorbidities. Incidentally, a two-month-old baby from North 24-Parganas died at Dr BC Roy Hospital on Saturday morning following pneumonia. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/task-force-formed-to-monitor-adenovirus-and-h3n2-influenza-511324