Staff Reporter -- Medical experts yesterday suggested that sick people should refrain from travelling by transports on the eve of Eid festival to avert swine flu attack.
They also advised people to use mask for one time and dispose it at safe place to prevent its spread.
The health experts were addressing a discussion meeting styled 'swine flu and our duty', organised by Shasthya Andolon at the Jatiya Press Club.
Dr Mostaque Ahmed, Senior Scientific Officer of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dr Rashid-e-Mahbub, former president, Bangladesh Medical Association, Dr ASM Jakir Hossain, former director, IEDRC, Jafarullah Chowdhury, Gonoshasthya Kendra, Aminur Rasul, Unnyan Dhara Trust and Dr Farida Akhter, joint convenor, Shasthya Andolon among others, addressed the meeting.
The terminals usually remain jam-packed with people in connection with Eid festival. Aged people, pregnant women, children and the sick are vulnerable to H1N1 virus. If they travel on crowded transports they are likely to be affected by the virus, said Mostaque Ahmed.
For raising awareness among people on the disease, posters containing health guidance would be pasted at the terminals ahead of Eid to content its spread in pandemic form, he informed.
A used mask is likely to contain H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus as the germs from surroundings stick on it during use. Whenever anybody uses it for the second time, he may be attacked by the virus.
After getting down from transports, people should take away mask and should wash hands with soap thoroughly, he said.
He also asked people not to dispose the used mask here and there to prevent the spread of swine flu.
Holding the government responsible for spreading of panic among people Rashid-e-Mahbub said that the government failed to play its role on the issue properly.
Since Bangladesh is a densely populated country, the spread of the flu among the poor people is likely he said and added that the government had no plan to protect people for its attack.
Swine flu may be found at any place. People were not to be blamed for its spread. It was government's responsibility to create awareness among people which it failed to perform, he charged.
Dr Jakir Hossain emphasised on awareness to prevent the spread of swine flu.
He said that a vested quarter may spread panic among people to sell out drugs.
Source: nation.ittefaq.com
