Wednesday, 04 SEPTEMBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Health department in the Dehradun district has ramped up efforts to prevent and manage cases of monkeypox. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently expressed concerns about potential monkeypox infections in India. Considering this, the State Health department has issued an alert and provided guidelines to all Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) in the State. These guidelines emphasise the need for regular monitoring to prevent the disease and immediate contact tracing if a suspected patient is identified. Apart from this, officials stated that no cases of monkeypox have been reported here so far.
In view of the direction, the Dehradun CMO Dr Sanjay Jain stated that they have been in a state of heightened alert. In accordance with the department’s directives, the hospitals in the district have also been instructed to be on high alert to prevent cases of monkeypox in the Dehradun district.
Senior physician at CMI hospital, Dr Anshika Jain emphasised the importance of staying alert to prevent cases of monkeypox. She explained that monkeypox is caused by a virus that can be transmitted from one infected person to another through contact. Common symptoms of monkeypox include fever, rashes and acne all over the body. To prevent monkeypox, individuals are advised to maintain distance from people suffering from colds, sneezing and other infections, as it is a communicable disease that spreads through contact. Jain also highlighted that monkeypox can be treated effectively with proper medical care within three to four weeks.
It is pertinent to mention here that in a recent advisory, the director general of Health, Dr Tara Arya has also directed officials concerned to ensure that patients in skin, medicine and paediatric clinics, in addition to STD clinics, are monitored closely. Suspected cases should be tested and samples collected and sent to authorised labs in a safe manner for further evaluation.
