Mumbai: Private doctors reporting suspected measles cases to health department

Mumbai: Amid the severe measles outbreak in the state since September, private doctors in Govandi and the surrounding areas are helping the civic body- Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), by reporting all suspected cases.

The local doctors in Mumbai and its neighboring areas have been directed to report the cases to the civic body to which around 50 cases have been reported in the last week from Govandi. The civic body has asked the local doctors and hospitals to report any suspected measles cases after the death of three children from the Rafi Nagar slum in Govandi due to the failure of the doctors to suspect the cause of the death. 

In September, BMC announced the outbreak after measles was found to be the cause of the deaths of the three children on October 26 and October 27, Mid-day reports.

Also read- Measles outbreak: Mumbai sees three-fold rise in disease

According to the National Health Mission, children in India between the ages of 9 and 12 receive their first dose of the measles vaccine as part of the national immunisation programme. When a child is 16 to 24 months old, the second dosage is given. Iqbal Singh Chahal, the municipal commissioner, recommended on Tuesday that parents give their kids their regular MR-1 and MR-2 vaccinations as soon as possible. 

"We will be approaching all political leaders, local corporators, and maulanas to create awareness related to vaccines… they will convince parents to get their children immunised," he said.

Seven suspected measles deaths and 164 cases of the viral infection have been reported in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Wednesday. 

With 184 new cases having fever and rash on the body, the number of suspected measles cases in the city rose to 1,263, and 647 of these cases include children in the age group of 1 to 4 years, It said in a press release.

The number of patients admitted in hospitals due to measles infection rose to 80 with 12 new patients admitted on Wednesday, it said. The civic body said in its bulletin that though the city witnessed seven suspected deaths due to measles infection, the exact reason behind their death will be confirmed only after the death review committee gives its report. The latest outbreak of measles is spread across eight civic wards in the city and the highest number of cases are from M-East ward, which includes Govandi and surrounding areas, it said.

As per the release, the civic body has set up isolation wards for patients with mild and severe symptoms of measles in various hospitals including Shivaji Nagar Urban Health Care Centre. Shatabdi, Govandi and Rajawadi hospitals. The highest 83 beds are made available in Kasturba hospital at Chinchpokli in central Mumbai, apart from five ventilators. 

"In measles, the child gets a fever, cold, cough, and red rashes on the body. Complications from this disease can be serious in children who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated," a BMC release earlier said.

Medical dialogues team had earlier reported that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had decided to depute a three-member high-level multi-disciplinary team in the city. The team will also undertake field visits to investigate the outbreak and assist the State Health Departments in terms of public health measures, management guidelines, and protocols to manage the increasing cases of Measles.

The 3 members Central team to Mumbai comprises of experts drawn from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), New Delhi, and Regional Office for Health and Family Welfare, Pune, Maharashtra. The team headed by Dr. Anubhav Srivastava, Deputy Director of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), NCDC.

Also read- Measles Outbreak: Govt Deploys Three Member Team To Mumbai