Union Health Ministry directs States to monitor ILI and SARI trends in children and adolescents
The Hindu
Union Health Ministry on Sunday directed State governments to ensure that the trends of influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) be closely monitored by the district and State surveillance units of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), particularly of children and adolescents.
Union Health Ministry on Sunday directed State governments to ensure that the trends of influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) be closely monitored by the district and State surveillance units of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, particularly of children and adolescents.
The action comes following the recent reports indicating a surge in respiratory illness in children in northern China in the past few weeks.
States have also been asked to send nasal and throat swab samples of patients with ILI/SARI, particularly of children and adolescents, to Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories located in the States for testing for respiratory pathogens.
In a letter by issued by the Ministry, States have been advised to immediately review public health and hospital preparedness measures viz. availability of HR, hospital beds, drugs & vaccines for influenza, medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment, testing kits and reagents, functionality of oxygen plants and ventilators, infection control practices in health facilities, at a senior level.
All States and Union Territories are to implement ‘Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of COVID-19’ — which provides for integrated surveillance of respiratory pathogens presenting as cases of ILI and SARI.
“The Health Ministry has proactively decided to review the preparedness measures against respiratory illnesses, as a matter of abundant caution. This is noted to be important in view of the ongoing influenza and winter season that results in an increase in respiratory illness cases. The government of India is closely monitoring the situation, and indicated that there is no need for any alarm,” said a senior Health Minister.
The Union Health Ministry maintained that the data of ILI/SARI from the States is required to be uploaded on a Central portal particularly from the public health institutions, including medical college hospitals.
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