Central and state governments must make concerted effort to check the spread of HINI virus

The countrywide toll has gone up to 46 due to swine flu. The World Health Organisation had declared Swine Flu as pandemic in April itself and alerted all the countries of the world about the infectious deadly disease. With the latest flu deaths, Bangalore now accounts for 11 fatalities while Chennai two. As many as 22 people have died of the virus in Maharashtra followed by five in Gujarat, two each in Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu and one each in Kerala and Uttarakhand.As many as 159 fresh flu cases were reported from various states till yesterday, taking the total number of those afflicted by the disease to 2,401.India itself reacted slow and showed lethargy in combating swine flu in the beginning itself. As the deadly disease affected India much less than the western countries where it has originated and spread from there, India’s response to take preventive measures against the disease has been comparatively slow in terms of its size and population. India is a Union of States and Health is a state subject. And state is duty bound to protect life and property of their citizens.Union Health minister Gulam Nabi Azad immediately called up on states to gear up itself to combat the disease after the report of fisrt swine flu fatality Pune girl Reeda came out. The health services of state government have really not shown serious interest in stopping the spread of HINI virus which causes swine flu. They have not come forward to mobilise private sector to co-operate in containing the spread of Swine Flu which is the most infectious disease. It needs to be immediately make concerted effort both by the Centre and states together to check the spread of the deadly disease. Fortunately, the disease is confined to big cities so far in the country and if it spread in the rural India, it would be a heart rending scene caused by the deadly effect of swine flu. Union Health Minister has rightly said that states are not doing enough. As Health is a state subject, the Centre has limit to ask states to do the reqiured thing. But India being the Union of States, the Centre has every right to interfere if the situation involves the lives of the citizens of the country. The Centre must do its job properly to overhaul health services in the entire country to contain the spread of HINI virus. The World Health Organisation has already warned that the swine flu will spread more and more in the future also. WHO has warned the countries to expect further cases and deaths as the spread of pandemic H1N1 swine flu virus speeds up, and there will come a point when case numbers will seem to explode. Centre must also take into serius consideration that why it spends least amount of money on health. The Centre must increase the amount for health sector in the General Budget.Most of the government health centres are ill-equipped to provide even first medical aid to the citizens. The Centre and the states need to chalk out fresh programmes to strengthen health services in the country. The need of the hour is not to indulge in blame game and the Centre and the states should make concerted effort to check the spread of HINI virus. Otherwise, the situation will turn out to be precarious.