Following the confirmation of SARS cases in the city, a high level meeting of top government officials and medical staff was held in the city yesterday evening to chalk out action plan to tackle SARS cases in the city.

Conducted by guardian minister of Pune district V.J.Mohite Patil, the meeting was attended by officials from NIV, Pune divisional commissioner Umeshchandra Sarangi, district collector Madhukar Kokate, Pune municipal health officials, Pune mayor Deepti Chaudhary and Pimpri- Chinchwad municipal health officials and representatives of private hospitals. The meeting decided to maintain a high-state medical alert would be maintained in the city to address the situation.

Sarangi said the isolation wards had been set up at the Naidu Hospital where the three patients have been shifted for further treatment. The other hospitals - Sassoon Hospital, and the Yeshwantrao Chavan Hospital have also been instructed to keep separate wards for SARS patients. Private hospitals in the city like Ruby Hall, Jehangir, Lokmanya, amongst all the other hospitals have also been instructed to keep separate reserve wards for the SARS patients, deputy health officer, PMC, Dr. P.S. Dhaigode, told Pharmabiz.com.

The private hospitals would screen patients who had recently travelled to high -risk areas in South -East Asia and Canada. Dr. B. P. Gaikwad, deputy director of health services, Pune circle, assured the situation was under control.

Mohite Patil said that the state government was taking all measures to present the spread of SARS. “We will not allow SARS to spread at any cost,” he pointed out and added that the government was closely monitoring the situation.

“We have already isolated and quarantined all people who have come in contact with the three patients,” the minister said.