RANCHI — The Jharkhand Health Department on Saturday sounded a statewide health alert after eight people tested positive for H1N1 influenza, commonly referred to as swine flu, at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi. The positive cases were confirmed after eleven patient samples underwent laboratory testing at the premier medical facility.
In a comprehensive advisory circulated to all civil surgeons, medical colleges, and district surveillance teams, health authorities directed hospitals to institute active screening protocols for influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). Healthcare centres across districts have been instructed to set aside dedicated isolation wards containing at least ten beds each to handle suspected and confirmed cases.
State National Health Mission (NHM) Director Shashi Prakash Jha emphasized that the advisory is a proactive measure to raise public awareness and prevent disease transmission rather than a cause for panic. Health officials advised citizens not to dismiss common fever symptoms and urged prompt medical consultation, noting that young children under five, seniors, pregnant women, and patients with underlying chronic illnesses face elevated risks of complications.
The state has bolstered laboratory diagnostics by activating dedicated testing facilities for both H1N1 and H3N2 strains at RIMS in Ranchi and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGM) in Jamshedpur. District hospitals have also been directed to stock essential medical countermeasures, including antiviral medications, oxygen supplies, ventilators, and personal protective equipment, while submitting daily surveillance logs to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) portal.
