Mumbai: Medical practitioners in Maharashtra
will now have to give in writing if they are unwilling to take
the swine flu vaccine, the state government has announced.
"The swine flu vaccine is not compulsory, but then we
have asked the medical staff including paramedicals and
doctors to give it in writing that they do not want to take
the vaccine," Health Minister Suresh Shetty informed the
Legislative Council.
The minister was replying to a calling attention motion
on the issue of spread of diseases like swine flu, malaria and
leptospirosis in Mumbai.
Doubting its effectiveness and possible side-effects,
many doctors in Maharashtra have refused to take the swine flu
vaccine, leaving the state Government with a large stock of
vaccines.
The state had procured the vaccine from the Centre after
the state was hit by H1N1 last year. The Centre placed an
order with a foreign company for 1.5 million doses of H1N1
vaccines in December, mostly to be given to the high-risk
group of medical practitioners.
Shetty said of the 33 swine flu cases detected in May,
100 in June and 337 in July, two died in May and seven in June
and July each.
Delay in swine flu treatment is the main reason for death
and it resulting in multiple diseases, he added.
On curbing the spread of malaria epidemic in Mumbai, the
Government has asked building developers to have preventive
measures like anti-Larva treatment facility at their
construction sites.
Shetty said that there are 2,500 construction sites in
Mumbai and the Mumbai civic body has asked them to undertake
anti-Larva treatment before giving them Intimation of
Disapproval.
"However, only 2.5 per cent of the developers have
complied with the directives," he said.
Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe asked if the Government would
take action on the developers non-cooperating with the BMC on
the issue. Action would be taken against the developers,
Shetty said.
The construction labourers would also be given health
cards and blood checking every 15 days, he added.
PTI
