Tamba effect: Govt promises funds to fight swine flu

Tamba effect: Govt promises funds to fight swine flu
TNN

PANAJI: Even as one more case of swine flu was confirmed on Saturday, bringing Goa’s tally of affected persons to seven, the government in an
apparent damage-control move decided to release the funds for the control of the disease.

A day after the state nodal officer for swine flu, Dr Rajendra Tamba, said he had no funds to carry out any activity related to the disease, chief secretary Sanjiv Srivastava said, "By Monday we will sort out the problem and the projected funds for swine flu control in Goa will be provided. We will see that such public health issues are not hampered in future."

Earlier in the day, chief minister Digambar Kamat said that "adequate funds were being released for the swine flu programme".

On Friday, Dr Tamba had issued a statement through the director of information appealing to the people not to contact him for information on swine flu since he had no funds to carry out any activity related to the disease. Government sources, however, said that the problem arose not due to lack of funds but due to "lack of coordination" between health department officials.

Meanwhile, a 26-year-old man who arrived in Goa on July 28 from the US via Hong Kong and was quarantined at GMC has tested positive for swine flu.

2 August 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition