By Bachaspatimayum Bisheswar
IMPHAL, October 10: State epidemiologist Dr Sashikumar has said there has been no new detection of Scrub typhus since August 30 this year.
Following a report from our correspondent on the detection of the disease in Ukhrul, IFP met with the epidemiologist at his office chamber at the Directorate of Medical & Health Services today.
Our Ukhrul correspondent had reported that according to official sources from Ukhrul District Hospital (UDH), there has been new detection of several Scrub typhus cases this year apart from many which were confirmed last year.
`Many patients who were brought here with symptoms of splitting headache, high fever, short of breath etc. have been tested positive for the disease recently,` said a doctor at UDH he had reported.
Although acknowledging that there has been no recent detection of the disease, Dr Sashikumar assured to look into the report. He said that he will himself look into the recent detection of scrub typhus in Ukhrul district and maintain his regular surveillance against any epidemic diseases in the State.
The epidemiology unit of the department will look into the report, he said before adding that his unit is involved in spreading awareness on diseases which can cause an epidemic and to render advises to the concern district on how to control and check spreading of such diseases.
The department also sends reports to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, IDSP in New Delhi on a regular basis, he said.
At the same time, such unit as his are run with funding from the IDSP, he said before adding that unfortunately, the IDSP is yet to sanction funding for the period of September 2013 to 2014.
He said the IDSP provided fund is used to provide salaries to the staff, for trainings conducted, bills, to organise awareness campaigns, etc.
However, the fund comes through the National Rural health Mission, he said and added that the delay in the release of fund could be because of NRHM`™s delay in submitting documentations to the IDSP.
Meanwhile, the Epidemiology department took a loan of Rs 52 lakh from the NRHM to run the department.