GBS outbreak: Nadda asks state to work with central agencies, identify trigger points
On Monday, while the state public health department said the number of suspected GBS cases had gone up to 163
Mumbai: With the number of suspected Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases in Maharashtra rising to 163 on Monday, union health minister JP Nadda has asked the state health department to work in coordination with other state government departments and central government agencies to identify the trigger points of GBS and control its outbreak.
GBS is a rare disorder where the immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system which carries signals from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body, causing muscle weakness and paralysis. Symptoms worsen over two to four weeks, and mortality rate varies from 3-13%, show studies.
On Monday, while the state public health department said the number of suspected GBS cases had gone up to 163, Nadda chaired a high-level meeting through video conference Maharashtra’s health minister Prakash Abitkar and other state ministers and government officials. The state public health department told him that till now, 47 patients had been discharged, 47 were in intensive care units and 21 were on ventilator support. The number of new cases had been decreasing since the last week of January, the officials told the union health minister.
State health minister Prakash Abitkar, who attended the meeting, later told reporters that Nadda conducted a detailed review of the GBS outbreak in Maharashtra and assured the Centre’s assistance in combating its spread.
“Nadda asked the state government to focus on taking adequate measures for water purification, supply of clean and potable water, and counselling and physiotherapy for the patients after recovery. Accordingly, we have asked hospitals to follow up with patients for 21 days and provide them psychological counselling and physiotherapy as per their needs,” said Abitkar.
The health department has made special arrangements for treatment of GBS cases in government hospitals, he added.
Dr Nipun Vinayak, secretary, public health department, said the state government was taking the help of several various central research agencies to identify the trigger points of GBS, as per Nadda’s instructions.
“For testing related to poultry, we have sent 67 samples to the Meat Research Institute at Hyderabad. For detecting anti-ganglioside antibodies in GBS, we have collected blood samples from 63 patients which will be sent to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) at Bengaluru,” said Vinayak.
Vinayak said that there were adequate beds and intensive care facilities in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal areas, where most cases are concentrated. The health department, along with concerned municipal corporations, is carrying out clinical death audits.
The public health department secretary also urged people who suffered from diarrhoea and respiratory problems to get tested for GBS at government hospitals. He urged citizens not to panic but take due precautions including drinking warm water and eating fresh cooked food.
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