HINI: experts moot training for doctors

Thiruvananthapuram: A team of experts which had visited Kerala recently for an evaluation and experience sharing of the H1N1 situation on the invitation of the State government has recommended that doctors, especially gynaecologists and obstetricians, and other health workers be given additional training for early case detection and treatment using oseltamivir.

The expert team noted that the average period by which treatment was started in cases where pregnant women had died of H1N1 was four to five days. This was because of cases reporting late to hospitals and also due to the general reluctance of doctors to put pregnant women on medication.

The high burden of mortality among pregnant women during the second spell of H1N1 infection in the State had been a cause of grave concern for the Health Department.

In its preliminary report to the State government, the expert team has also recommended that surveillance of fever, influenza, and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) be increased in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.