2009-08-17 08:51:20 - MedTitans, India’s largest and fastest growing online community of Doctors and GreatWhite Technologies, licensees of the NASA developed AiroCide Enconditioning Technology, have asked the Government to explore alternatives to the Tamiflu drug and offered their expertise to help combat the spread of the disease.

Comprising of some of the most experienced and renowned Doctor’s in the country, The MedTitans-AiroCide Swine Flu Expert Panel also announced a series of initiatives to educate and empower, not just the public, but also Doctors, on how to tackle and manage the spread of the pandemic.

“It is not just the public, but even Doctor’s need to be made aware of how to handle the situation”, said Dr. Ajit Menon, Chairman, medTitans and eminent cardiologist. “Through this panel, we are enabling the active involvement of both the medical fraternity as well as the private sector in managing the disease”, he added. MedTitans is a 10,000 strong online community of Doctors from across the country who have come together to

share knowledge, exchange opinions and enhance the quality of medical services being offered in India.

Dispelling various myths that are spreading panic across the country, the MedTitans-AiroCide Swine Flu Expert Panel appealed to people to be calm and careful. “What India needs is a change in attitude and behaviour”, said eminent Epidemiologist Dr. S.M. Sapatnekar. “A little personal hygiene, civic sense and an alert mind will ensure that you are not afflicted and the virus does not spread”, he emphasised.

Highlighting the fact that even hospital environments are not safe, the Panel alongwith GreatWhite Technologies offered to donate the highly sophisticated AiroCide Enconditioning Machines to Government Hospitals like Kasturbha and Bhaba. The NASA developed and USFDA approved, state-of-the-art AiroCide Enconditioning System has the capability of annihilating almost every kind of known virus, micro-organism or pathogens including deadly gases like anthrax. Costing lakhs of Rupees, these machines, once installed, would keep the indoor air in the Casualty or the ICU free of any organic contaminants and ensure the safety and health of all those thronging the hospitals to get themselves and their dear ones checked.

As an immediate step, the Panel announced a series of Open Forums that will be held for the public where queries and issues would be answered by them. With Swine Flu still being a relatively unknown quantity, the Panel is planning to hold numerous seminars for Doctors to guide them on how to tackle the disease, handle patients, control the spread and avoid falling prey to the virus.

MedTitans also announced the launch of a 24-hour helpline (022-41088600) that would be manned by people trained by the Panel to address and guide the public. “This is a severe crisis and the entire medical fraternity wants to support the Government in its endeavours to control it”, said Dr. Sujeet Rajan, renowned Respiratory specialist. “In the coming days, our Panel will grow to include more and more experts from across the country and each of us will do our little bit to help tackle situation”.

The MedTitans-AiroCide Swine Flu Expert Panel includes:
·Dr. Ajit Menon - Chairman medTitans & Consultant Intervention Cardiology
·Dr. Sujeet Rajan - Respiratory Medicine
·Dr. S.M. Sapatnekar - Epidemiologist
·Dr. Jaideep Gogtay - Medical Director, CIPLA
·Dr. Tanu Singhal - Paediatric Infectious Disease Specialist
·Dr. Pratit Samdani - Professor Medicine, Grand Medical College

The Panel also announced the formation of a mobile community on SMS Gupshup called ‘swineflu’, where anybody can join free of cost and receive tips and guidance from the Panel Doctors on handling various aspects of the disease. Through daily gupshups, the Panel will update the public on new developments, offer counsel and advice and provide an interactive platform for discussion. To join, all one needs to do is to type ‘join swineflu’ on their mobile and send as a sms to 567678.

For further details o interviews with the Panel, contact:
Vinod G. Nair, Managing Director, Clea Public Relations, Mumbai, India; +91-98678-00008
Swapna Raghavan, Clea Public Relations, Mumbai, India; +91-98206-87631
Manoj Mayani, Clea Public Relations, Mumbai, India; +91-98339-33797