Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Gujarat government has cracked down on doctors responsible for the hepatitis-B outbreak in Modasa taluka of Gujarat's Sabarkantha district.
FIRs have been registered against five doctors even as the death toll rose to 32 and 57 more were found to be hepatitis-B positive.
The doctors have been charged with re-using syringes and have been booked for negligence for the hepatitis-B outbreak
Health Department officials have also sealed 16 medical stores since Friday.
"Hepatitis-B is is a viral infection that makes the liver swell and stops it working properly. The symptoms are tiredness, stomach pain, fever and diarrhea. Hepatitis-B spreads through unprotected sex, sharing infected needles, blood transfusion and use of infected belongings." |
Gujarat Health Minister Jay Narayan Vyas dismissed allegations that the medical infrastructure has not been able to deal with the outbreak.
"There is no question of medical infrastructure not matching up with requirement. Understand that it is a virus that spreads through blood. It has a window period of 90-180 days. Unless the disease surfaces it is not possible to know about it. Part of the viruses are mutated and that explains why there are large casualties," said Vyas.
Vyas also assured that the government was keeping a close watch on the situation.
"We are working round the clock on it. So far we have made all the arrangements required.; There are no delays from our side. The drug commissioner also works under me. I am at the scene of action in Modasa. Every doctor has been scanned and eight FIRs have been registered. We are taking action," he claimed.
Meanwhile, two doctors from Dhansura and Modasa against whom the Health Department had filed FIRs on the charge of using unsterilised and used syringes were arrested on Friday, Superintendent of Police RB Bhrambhatt said.
They were released on bail by the court as they were booked for bailable offence under the Medical Practitioner's Act, he said.
Chief District Health Officer HS Patel said 214 medical teams, comprising 50 doctors and over 450 paramedical staff, have been deployed for door-to-door survey to identify people who have the slightest symptom of hepatitis.
He said the Health Department has been advertising about the precautions to be taken in local newspapers and cable channels.
Meanwhile, cases of hepatitis have also been reported from Surat and Vadodara.
In Surat, 39 cases of hepatitis-E, caused due to contaminated food or water, has been reported from three villages -- Masma, Isanpur and Talad -- in Olpad taluka.
Surat district officials said the disease had spread due to leakage in the drinking water pipeline resulting in contamination of water.
Officials in Vadodara said 28 cases of hepatitis have been reported from across the district.
(With inputs from PTI)
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