swine flu
Nalsar Hyderabad has kept its doors open after five students had been diagnosed with the swine influenza virus last week Thursday (24 January) and is awaiting the doctors green light, after classes were cancelled for one day yesterday but have now resumed.
NUJS Kolkata will be closed for the student body for 10 days, starting today, due to the outbreak of chicken pox on campus. Faculty and administrative staff will continue working.
NLSIU Bangalore will close for 10 days in the wake of the H1N1 influenza virus strain, following 20 deaths in Karnataka and the temporary closure of several other educational institutions in the state.
Advani & Company is representing the family of India's first H1N1 virus victim against the Pune hospitals it alleges had caused her death.
Indian blawg Law and Other Things posted a brilliant article dissecting the statutory framework that is being used to deprive suspected swine flu cases of their liberty. But, asks the blawg, is the Act actually fit for purpose?
Probably not: although swine flu is frightening and has reached global pandemic status, it is technically unlikely to be an epidemic in India and would thus not fall within the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897.
While some of the powers of the Act are suitably draconian to allow the state to deal with diseases serious enough to destroy it (although the maximum Rs 200 fine is unlikely to hurt much), does the 100-odd-year-old legislation leave public health officials defenceless against the virus until it is too late?