Need to tackle Measles on a war footing, work with BMC and govt: Dr Pranav Kabra

MUMBAI: While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed the outbreak of measles in slum pockets of Mumbai after three children from Rafi Nagar in Govandi died due to the extremely contagious disease within a span of 48 hours, Dr Pranav Kabra of the Raksha Multispecialty Hospital at Malad in suburban Mumbai called for vaccination on a war footing.

Dr Kabra’s hospital is located close to one of the outbreak areas of Malwani where at least two confirmed cases of Measles have been reported.

Responding to the outbreak, Dr Kabra said all medical professionals must work with the BMC and the State government to manage and treat Measles patients about 99 per cent of whom are below 5 years of age.

According to the BMC, there are 29 cases of measles in Mumbai (as of Wednesday).

However, these are only those cases that BMC’s doctors have referred to for testing at the special central government viral laboratory in the Haffkine compound in Parel and unofficial figures claim that there are nearly 100 cases of Measles in the MMR or Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

About 50 percent of the 29 children infected with measles are fully vaccinated against measles the BMC data showed.

“All medical practitioners must treat this is as an emergency and work together as a team in tackling this very contagious diseases that affects kids, even those who are vaccinated. The thrust must be on vaccinating all those eligible for the jab,” Dr Kabra said.