Hepatitis claimed the lives of two more persons in Gujarat's Sabarkantha district on Saturday, taking the death toll to 34, district health officials said.
"Two deaths were reported today and five more patients of Hepatitis-D were admitted in the district hospitals. The condition of 50 patients is reported to be critical," district health officials said. The state government will urge the Medical Council of India to cancel the registration of seven doctors, who were arrested for negligence of duty, official sources added.
Meanwhile, four central medical teams reached Sabarkantha district and began the inoculation of the staff at public health centres and government-run hospitals.
"The inoculation was being done as a precautionary step to safeguard the hospital staff from contracting the dreaded virus," officials said. The state government had filed cases against seven doctors, for using used syringes, under the Medical Practitioners Act.
The state government has ordered six lakh vaccines to start mass vaccination in Hepatitis-affected areas of Sabarkantha district. "Three rounds of vaccinations will be carried out to contain and check cross-infection of Hepatitis in the district. The drive will start from Modasa taluka, which has been the worst affected so far," Vyas said.
A four-member central team, including Dr Vineet Chadha and Dr Ahuja, from the National Institute of Virology and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, will be studying the pattern as well as the history of patients affected due to Hepatitis, he said.
