Health Ministry takes measures to curb respiratory diseases

New Delhi, Nov 26: All States and Union Territories have received advisories from the central health ministry to implement the “Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of COVID-19.”

Issued earlier this year, these guidelines emphasise integrated surveillance of respiratory pathogens manifesting as cases of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI).
District and state surveillance units of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) are urged to closely monitor ILI/SARI trends, especially among children and adolescents.

Public health institutions, including medical college hospitals, are required to upload ILI/SARI data on the IDSP-IHIP portal. States are also instructed to send nasal and throat swab samples of SARI patients, particularly children and adolescents, to Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) for testing.
To bolster public health and hospital preparedness, the union Health Secretary has directed States and UTs to review measures promptly.

This includes assessing the availability of human resources, hospital beds, drugs, vaccines for influenza, medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment, testing kits, and reagents, functionality of oxygen plants, ventilators, and infection control practices in health facilities.

Amid reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicating a rise in respiratory illnesses in northern China, attributed to causes such as Influenza, Mycoplasma pneumonia, and SARS-CoV-2, the Union Health Ministry is proactively reviewing preparedness measures.

WHO suggests that the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions coinciding with the onset of winter and the cyclical trend of respiratory illnesses contribute to the surge. While seeking additional information from Chinese authorities, WHO asserts that there is no cause for immediate alarm.

Given recent reports of an uptick in respiratory illnesses among children in northern China, the Union Health Ministry is taking precautionary measures to review preparedness.

This is crucial amid the ongoing influenza season and winter conditions, which typically lead to an increase in respiratory illness cases. The Government of India is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens.