Treating Zika patients made mandatory for Lucknow hospitals

"No hospital can deny treatment to a Zika patient. The hospital will admit and treat the patient," the Lucknow district magistrate's office confirmed. It was further informed that till now almost 399 samples from suspected cases have been tested in laboratory and three among them have already been tested positive for Zika in Lucknow.

"If a person from Lalkuan, Husainganj or Kanpur Road, from where three cases have been reported, goes for blood donation or for consultation at hospital, they shall be screened for any symptoms on priority," the DM asked the health officials at a meeting.

According to a recent media report in Hindustan Times, he further added, " Also, samples from all fever cases getting admitted to hospitals should be tested for Zika and hospitals should prepare a ward for patients reporting illness from mosquito bite. If there is no separate ward then mosquito net should be used for each patient."

ANI reports that the District Magistrate in Lucknow previously also instructed officials to create containment zones of 400 metres around a Zika virus patient's home and the patient should go in for home isolation. The district magistrate issued these instructions at a meeting called to control Zika virus cases, said an official statement.

The DM directed the officials to activate monitoring committees. As many as 550 super surveillance teams were constituted for surveillance. Twenty five teams will be present at each Community Health Centre (CHC) and they will do door-to-door surveys and monitoring of patients. As per the release, in-charges have been appointed at airports, railway stations, bus stops who will make a list of passengers coming from Zika-affected states and abroad. To enhance the health infrastructure to deal with the virus, Zika virus wards will be created in eight hospitals of the district.

Other than the hospitals, the fever clinics which were handling the covid cases will start again. "The integrated covid command centres shall monitor fever cases and also ensure there is no panic regarding Zika and Dengue. Hospitals will put up dos and don'ts regarding Dengue and Zika prominently," he said. "Prevention for both Zika and Dengue is the same. Avoid mosquito bite and remove stagnated water. Using a mosquito net at home is the ultimate protection against mosquito bite," said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general association of international doctors.

The health teams visited 3299 houses on Monday to rule out the possible existence of the sources of mosquito breeding and served notices to 7 house owners where stagnated water was spotted, reports HT.

Moreover, almost 33 samples from among 5196 people screened in Safdalbagh, 43 samples from among 3779 people in Phoolbagh and 7 samples in Sambhalkheda from among 4205 people screened were collected by the health department during the day. In all 69 samples taken from people in close contacts of the three cases in these three areas tested negative for Zika. Samples were taken two days before.