Mumbai, 26 January (IANS). The first death from Gulian-Baire syndrome (GBS) disease has come in Pune, Maharashtra. A chartered accountant from Pune died of this rare disease. He lived in DSK Vishwa region.
The person was troubled by diarrhea for a few days and went to his village in Solapur district on a private visit. When he felt weakness, he was admitted to a private hospital in Solapur, where doctors discovered GBS. He was kept in the ICU when his condition became critical. However, he was brought out of the ICU on Saturday when his position stabilized. However, he died on the same day due to difficulty in breathing. His relatives gave information about this.
GBS is a rare nerve disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own veins. This causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness. This can lead to paralysis or sometimes death.
There have been 73 GBS cases in Pune, out of which 14 patients are on ventilator. 9 suspected patients were found on Saturday. The Pune Municipal Corporation has taken strict steps to prevent the disease.
Pune Municipal Corporation is on alert mode and has adopted several measures to deal with the situation. According to Pune Civic Body Source, GBS symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting.
Sources said, “GBS infection can be caused by contaminated water or food intake. Infection can cause diarrhea and abdominal pain. In some individuals, the immune system targets the nerves, making it known about GBS within 1 to 3 weeks. In addition, the immune system attacks nerves due to infection of dengue, chikungunya virus or other bacteria.
The state health department has advised people to avoid drinking boiled water and eating stale food. If there is a sudden weakness in the muscles of the hands and feet, then immediately consult the family doctor or go to the nearest government hospital.
A senior medical officer of the State Health Department said that although the exact cause of GBS has not been detected yet, its symptoms usually appear after infection of the breath or digestive system. However, he said that bacteria or viral infections, recent vaccinations, surgery and neuropathy can trigger this syndrome. He did not appeal to the people to panic and said that although GBS is a rare disease, it is possible to treat it.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry has sent a team to Pune where 73 people have been affected in the city’s Sinhagad area due to recent outbreak of GBS.
In addition, Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar said that the number of GBS patients in Pune has increased. It has been observed that water causes infection. The Health Department has ordered to take appropriate measures. Currently, the disease has been included in the State Health Insurance Scheme ‘Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana’. Earlier, under this scheme, private hospitals were given Rs 80,000, but now it has been increased to Rs 1.6 lakh.
The Health Minister also informed that if the hospitals are charging unnecessary bills for the treatment of this disease, action will be taken against them. He further said that it has been seen that when the immune system becomes weak, GBS occurs. Abitkar said that the treatment of GBS in hospitals under the State Health Insurance Scheme will be completely free. Hospitals will not be able to charge extra money from patients for this, so there will be no financial burden on the patients.
In Pune, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that GBS patients will be treated free of cost at Kamla Nehru Hospital of Pune Municipal Corporation.
-IANS
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