“There is absolutely no cause for alarm. The situation is very much under control and people just need to take care of their personal hygiene,” is the regular quote of medical authorities in Hyderabad on the ‘swine flu’ epidemic.
However, the number of infected people is growing daily with an average of 5 cases being reported every day.
Despite newspapers such as ‘The Times of India’ carrying out front-page articles almost every other day on the growing threat of swine flu turning into an epidemic, the government seems to have turned a deaf year to the impending danger.
There is hardly any activity on the administration’s side exhorting people to take the necessary precautions or distribution of preventive medicines anymore. And the biggest worrying factor is the ‘Sankranthi’ festival.
The railway and bus stations are teeming with people, the majority of them from Seemandhra to go to their native places. In such a congested environment, imagine the risk from even one contaminated person.
Recently, Kavitha, the daughter of KCR was rumored to have been infected with swine flu. The great lady was discharged from a corporate hospital in the city after three days and she promptly got into her air conditioned car and left.
But the poor people cannot expect similar privileges. Swine flu can affect anybody: either a film star or a tea stall vendor. And it is highly contagious!
Unfortunately, KCR’s words speak louder than his actions and he will definitely find a way out to blame someone else should the disease turn into an epidemic once again!
