Special Arrangements for Treatment of GBS Patients: CM Fadnavis

Mumbai, 28 January 2025: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed that special arrangements be made in government hospitals to treat patients suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).

In a cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed the status of Guillain-Barré Syndrome and issued necessary instructions. During the meeting, a presentation was made by the Public Health Department regarding the disease.

The Chief Minister emphasized that while treatment for patients is already ongoing, government hospitals must ensure adequate facilities to provide appropriate care to patients. Treatments for this disease are covered under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, and any additional procedural requirements should be addressed by the Public Health Department.

Causes and Precautions:
GBS is often caused by consuming contaminated water, uncooked food, or raw meat. Citizens are advised to avoid such food items and to drink only boiled water. The Chief Minister also instructed the health department to ensure the availability of safe drinking water during the cricket match scheduled in Pune on 31st January.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated that for patients in Pune city, treatment facilities have been arranged at Kamala Nehru Hospital under the Pune Municipal Corporation and at the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital under the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

Disease Insights:
GBS is a rare condition but is non-contagious, and most patients recover successfully. The disease occurs due to weakened immunity. Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar mentioned that a review was conducted in Pune, and necessary guidelines for treatment and testing have been issued. The Public Health Department and the health divisions of both municipal corporations are actively working on this.

Currently, there are 111 cases in Pune, with 80 patients from a 5 km radius. Tests have been conducted on 35,000 households and 94,000 citizens. Assistance for testing is being provided by the National Institute of Virology (NIV). While one death has been reported, it has not yet been confirmed as being caused by GBS, according to the Public Health Department.

In addition, the issue of case leakage in Buldhana district is now under control, and there has been no increase in cases. Further decisions will be made after receiving a report from ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research), as stated by the Public Health Department.