The Hindu : `Alert on plague outbreak was ignored'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 25, 2002

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`Alert on plague outbreak was ignored'

By Our Staff Reporter

SHIMLA, FEB. 24. The Shimla district committee of the CPI(M) has demanded the resignation of the State Health Minister, J.P. Nadda, whom they feel is responsible for not taking preventive measures against the plague outbreak despite several alerts.

The CPI(M) demanded immediate steps to check the further spread of the disease, and compensations to the victims and their families.

They said the families should be given at least Rs. five lakhs and the State Government should pay the medical bills of those undergoing treatment.

A group of leaders led by Sanjay Chauhan, a Kisan Sabha activist, which toured the area said the ``inadequate'' health system was responsible for the outbreak.

The three State- run health institutions are ill- equipped and lacking in medical facilities, including para- medical staff and equipment. There are no specialists in the area to detect any epidemic, the leaders said.

Though the area is known to be prone to plague, the Government had no surveillance system functioning.

Had there been some system of diagnosis and detection, the first victim, Ranchir, could have been saved and the disease would not have spread.

Even after repeated alerts, the Government hardly took any action, the CPI(M) alleged. An expert in the field, Jai Dev Singh, had alerted the health authorities and the National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD), regarding chances of a recurrence.

``But, everybody turned a deaf ear and the BJP-HVC Government ignored it.'' Dr. Jaidev has again warned that vigil was required as the rodents still carried the bacteria.

When the Polymers Chain Reaction (PCR) Technique is available to detect the bacteria within five hours, why did the diagnosis take so long, the leaders asked.

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