Rahul Gandhi writes to Kerala health minister over report of new H1N1 cases in Wayanad

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja to provide facilities to adequately prepare for a possible H1N1 outbreak as some students and teachers of a school in his Wayanad constituency have been infected by the virus. In his letter, Gandhi asked Shailaja to provide testing facilities and also conduct awareness campaigns on preventive measures for H1N1.

He said it had come to his notice that around 150 students and teachers of Anayyamkannu Higher Secondary School had been infected by H1N1 in the first week of January and they were showing symptoms of the disease.

The Congress leader said they were under observation and the Health Department was conducting a medical camp and an expert medical team was expected to visit the school on Thursday.

"Given the highly contagious nature of H1N1, I request the Health Department to extend all possible support to public healthcare facilities to adequately prepare for any possibility of an outbreak, including provisioning of testing facilities; and also conduct awareness campaigns regarding preventive measures.

"I am confident that the Department of Health and Family Welfare will proactively work to contain the spread of this disease," Gandhi said in his letter.

The former Congress president represents the Wayanad Parliamentary constituency in Kerala.