The All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has issued a protocol for handling suspected mpox cases in India as the World Health Organization declares the disease as a public health emergency of international concern.
Amid rising international cases, three Delhi government hospitals have been directed to set up isolation rooms for suspected and confirmed cases of mpox, a health department official told PTI.
The Centre had also informed the authorities in airports, ports and borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to remain alert about incoming international passengers who show mpox symptoms, according to sources.
For handling suspected mpox cases in the emergency department, the institute has recommended setting up a screening process in the triage area wherein, upon arrival, patients with fever, rash, or a history of contact with confirmed mpox cases should be flagged for immediate assessment. Key symptoms like fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and characteristic skin lesions, must be identified.
The suspected patients must be immediately placed in a designated isolation area to minimise contact with other patients and staff.
Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital has been designated for managing and treating mpox patients so any patient suspected of having mpox should be referred to Safdarjung Hospital for further evaluation and treatment, AIIMS said.
Moreover, a dedicated ambulance has been allotted to shift the patients to Safdarjung hospital. Health workers have been advised by the institute to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when dealing with suspected cases.
Officials have said that no mpox case has been reported in the country at present. According to an assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low, they said.
Mpox cases have been steadily increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last year, the number of reported cases around the world increased significantly. This year, the number of cases reported so far has already exceeded last year's total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths.
Featured Video Of The Day
Video: 4-Year-Old Girl Falls Off Cycle, Run Over By Car In Gujarat
Rage, Protests After 2 Nursery Girls Sexually Assaulted In Thane School Video: "Bachcha Hai Andar," Screams Bengaluru Couple As Biker Attacks Car Parents Made To Wait 11 Hours In Police Station Before FIR In Thane Horror Ujjwal Nikam Is Prosecutor In Thane Sex Assault Cases: 5 Points About Him Trainer Aircraft Goes Missing After Take Off From Jharkhand, Search On Train Hits Road Near Station In Madhya Pradesh, Railway Cops Launch Probe Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.