H1N1 virus: Lab opens at Civil hospital
An influenza laboratory has been set up at the Civil Hospital to counter the swine flu.
KARACHI:
To counter the threat of swine flu — which could turn out to be a pandemic — an influenza laboratory was inaugurated at the Civil Hospital, Karachi on Saturday.
The lab has been established with the collaboration of the Sindh health department and and the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. The medical out-patient department at the hospital has also been renovated to combat swine flu and other diseases.
Although it was officially inaugurated on Saturday, the lab is said to have been operational since last week. As the number of swine flu cases rose to 19 within six days, health officials present at the inaugural ceremony said that it will be helpful in detecting more cases, as well as providing immediate diagnosis.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed, who inaugurated the laboratory, said that all necessary equipment including real-time PCR, master kits, deep freezers and other gear had been provided in the lab where swab samples will be received. He informed that 12 kinds of influenza tests could be conducted in the lab.
Even though the establishment of the laboratory was hailed as good news, health experts brought some bad news with them. Dr Naseem Salahuddin, the head of the infectious society division at Indus Hospital, said there will be a “considerable increase” in swine flu cases in the coming weeks. Flu strains tend to increase within weeks, she said. “But these should not be a cause for worry because the flu subsides within 10 to 15 days of care and caution,” she added.
As for precautions, the health officials said that the vaccine is one of the preventive measures — not the treatment itself. Those who already have the flu do not need to get vaccinated. “Everyone is at risk. But top priority should be given to those who fall into the high-risk group, like people with renal problems, diabetes and especially pregnant women, because the flu effects them the most,” they explained.
Last year, fewer cases were diagnosed, according to Dr Salahuddin, and a lot of commotion was generated, which led people to believe that swine flu is a fatal disease.
Refuting the perception, she said, “The effect of a disease varies from person-to-person completely. It depends on their disease threshold.”
Dr Suresh Kumar, the head of the Swine Flu Surveillance Cell, thinks that the cases will not increase and will gradually subside. He said that he has not received any information regarding any new admissions to hospitals.
JPMC-SMC feud
Addressing a press briefing after the inauguration, the provincial health minister said his party has a clear stance on provincial autonomy and it will not accept any opposition to it.
He was referring to the present feud between Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and Sindh Medical College (SMC). The SMC administration has been trying to expand the college into a university and merge JPMC as the teaching hospital, which the hospital has been fiercely opposing since day one. The minister said that it would be in the benefit of the masses if Jinnah hospital and SMC are given university status.
“Let’s not make it a political issue. In the end, whatever happens should be in the interest of the province.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2011.
To counter the threat of swine flu — which could turn out to be a pandemic — an influenza laboratory was inaugurated at the Civil Hospital, Karachi on Saturday.
The lab has been established with the collaboration of the Sindh health department and and the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. The medical out-patient department at the hospital has also been renovated to combat swine flu and other diseases.
Although it was officially inaugurated on Saturday, the lab is said to have been operational since last week. As the number of swine flu cases rose to 19 within six days, health officials present at the inaugural ceremony said that it will be helpful in detecting more cases, as well as providing immediate diagnosis.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed, who inaugurated the laboratory, said that all necessary equipment including real-time PCR, master kits, deep freezers and other gear had been provided in the lab where swab samples will be received. He informed that 12 kinds of influenza tests could be conducted in the lab.
Even though the establishment of the laboratory was hailed as good news, health experts brought some bad news with them. Dr Naseem Salahuddin, the head of the infectious society division at Indus Hospital, said there will be a “considerable increase” in swine flu cases in the coming weeks. Flu strains tend to increase within weeks, she said. “But these should not be a cause for worry because the flu subsides within 10 to 15 days of care and caution,” she added.
As for precautions, the health officials said that the vaccine is one of the preventive measures — not the treatment itself. Those who already have the flu do not need to get vaccinated. “Everyone is at risk. But top priority should be given to those who fall into the high-risk group, like people with renal problems, diabetes and especially pregnant women, because the flu effects them the most,” they explained.
Last year, fewer cases were diagnosed, according to Dr Salahuddin, and a lot of commotion was generated, which led people to believe that swine flu is a fatal disease.
Refuting the perception, she said, “The effect of a disease varies from person-to-person completely. It depends on their disease threshold.”
Dr Suresh Kumar, the head of the Swine Flu Surveillance Cell, thinks that the cases will not increase and will gradually subside. He said that he has not received any information regarding any new admissions to hospitals.
JPMC-SMC feud
Addressing a press briefing after the inauguration, the provincial health minister said his party has a clear stance on provincial autonomy and it will not accept any opposition to it.
He was referring to the present feud between Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and Sindh Medical College (SMC). The SMC administration has been trying to expand the college into a university and merge JPMC as the teaching hospital, which the hospital has been fiercely opposing since day one. The minister said that it would be in the benefit of the masses if Jinnah hospital and SMC are given university status.
“Let’s not make it a political issue. In the end, whatever happens should be in the interest of the province.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2011.