Mpox Alert: 3 Delhi Govt Hospitals To Set Up Isolation Rooms For Suspected, Confirmed Cases

New Delhi: As the world witnesses a surge in Mpox cases, three Delhi government hospitals have been directed to set up isolation rooms for suspected and confirmed cases of Monkey Pox, the health department officials informed on Tuesday.

"Three Delhi government hospitals -- LNJP, GTB and Baba Saheb Ambedkar -- have been directed to set up isolation rooms for suspected and confirmed cases of the disease. While LNJP has been designated as the nodal facility, two other hospitals are on standby," a senior health department official told PTI.

The Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital will have a total of 20 isolation rooms for the patients, including 10 for confirmed cases. The Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital and Baba Saheb Ambedkar will have 10 rooms each for such patients, with five rooms each in them for suspected cases.

However, the official said that there was no need to panic and the government is fully prepared.

"There are no cases as of now. We are fully alert and monitoring the situation," he added.

As of August 2024, no new cases of Mpox have been reported in India during the current outbreak.

The last confirmed case in the country was recorded in March 2024. In total, India has reported 30 cases since 2022. The Indian government has heightened surveillance at airports, seaports, and border crossings to prevent the virus from entering the country.

How Mpox spreads?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an emergency because of the rapid spread of Mpox, a viral disease that can pass from one person to another through close contact. 

Although Mpox was mostly found in parts of Africa, recent outbreaks in many other countries have raised serious concerns. By declaring this emergency, the WHO is urging countries to take stronger actions to stop the virus from spreading, such as better monitoring and public health measures. This decision highlights the urgent need for global cooperation to protect people and prevent more cases from occurring.

Govt asks airports to remain alert on Mpox 

The Union Health Ministry has asked all airports as well as authorities at land ports on borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to remain alert about incoming international passengers reporting Mpox symptoms, official sources said on Sunday.

The ministry has identified three Centre-run hospitals -- Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge -- as nodal centres in the national capital for isolation, management and treatment of any patient with Mpox.

All state governments have been asked to identify such designated hospitals under their jurisdiction, the sources said.

P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the country's preparedness for Mpox amid enhanced surveillance for prompt detection.

Officials said there is no reported case of Mpox in the country as of now. As per the current assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low, they said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.

"The virus strain this time is different and is more virulent and infectious. But the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low in the country as per the current assessment," an official source said.

The health ministry has directed officials to enhance surveillance and effective measures to be taken for prompt detection of Mpox cases. It has stressed that the network of testing laboratories should be geared up for early diagnosis of the disease.

At present, 32 laboratories in the country are equipped for testing Mpox.

Mishra on Sunday said protocols for prevention and treatment of the disease should be disseminated on a large scale, stressing the importance of running an awareness campaign among healthcare providers about the signs and symptoms of the disease and the need for timely notification to the surveillance system.

An earlier statement from WHO stated that 99,176 cases and 208 deaths had been reported due to Mpox from 116 countries globally since 2022.

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.

With inputs from PTI