Swine flu fear, Chest hospital teams deployed in Kurnool

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy/Kurnool

Swine flu screening teams and six doctors from Erragadda chesthospital Hyderabad have arrived in at Kurnool on Friday as the fear of H1N1 spread issuspected.Kurnool General Hospital Superintendent Dr M S R K Prasad told this correspondent,""there are no cases of Swine flu reported in the city.

But as a precautionary measurethe doctors team from Chest Hospital was sent to screen the patients suffering with acuterespiratory diseases,"

After the floods on October 6th and 7th four kids died of acute respiratory disease inKurnool General Hospital and hospital authorities have termed them as regular disease.Doctors said that the slush mixed up with food grains and oil and other material is anexcellent medium for bacteria and virus.The food grains stocked in One town and godowns and cooking oil perished in water andthe residents in Kurnool stock the rice for a year and all these bags soaked in water.

"the foul smell and the presence of micro organisms in the air will cause respiratoryinfections. So we have made all arrangements to face any situation. Three psychiatristalso came here to treat the flood phobia and depression due to this. Doctors from Gandhiand Osmania General Hospital are also arriving here. Teams of KGH are going to 56villages," said Mr MSRK Prasad.Residents of Kurnool now demand the government to supply N 95 respirator mask tothem.Lakshmi Narayana Gupta of Poolabazar says ,"the stinking smell is too bad. peoplealready have throat infections. the surgical masks now available are of no use.government should supply N 95 respirator masks,"

Kurnool municipal Officials said that the drainage and sewage lines mixed up with thedrinking water supply pipes and the contamination is suspected.

AP Pollution Control Board have lifted the samples to test the water for E Coli and otherpollutants.Mr A Surendra Raju Joint Chief Environmental Engineer of AP Pollution Control Board,"our men have lifted the samples of water in Kurnool and the tests are being conducted.We are waiting for the results. We didn't collect any samples of air pollution,"The Institute of Preventive Medicine regional lab situated at Kurnool General Hospitalalso submerged in water and there no water quality tests conducted.Authorities said all the equipment was damaged in the floods.