Date:10/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/10/stories/2005051010220400.htm

New Delhi

Close schools to prevent spread of meningitis, says Vardhan

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: In view of the outbreak of meningococcal meningitis, the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president, Harsh Vardhan, on Monday despatched a letter to the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikhsit, demanding immediate closure of all Government and private schools in the city to prevent the spread of the disease.

Being a communicable disease, he pointed out that it could easily spread in the closed environs of a school. Holding the Government responsible for the outbreak, Dr. Vardhan said had it acted swiftly and vaccinated the people, the situation would not have been so bad.

Dr. Vardhan alleged that the vaccine was not available in the market and the disease was fast spreading to the neighbouring towns of Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.

Further, he said that instead of taking effective measures to contain the disease, the Government was busy trying to hush up things. "According to non-official data, more than 300 people have been affected by meningococcal meningitis,'' he claimed.