New Delhi, May 1
In a complete reversal of its previous stand of enumerating confirmed cases of the much-dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Health Ministry today claimed that India was SARS-free.

The Union Health Minister, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, told mediapersons here today that the World Health Organisation had given India a clean chit by declaring it SARS-free. She said the WHO had struck off India’s name from the list of countries reporting SARS. “We were never on the list of countries transmitting SARS locally. The good news is that the WHO website has reported that there is no case of SARS. We have got a certificate from the WHO. This is a big relief,’’ she said.

Mrs Swaraj said the WHO arrived at this conclusion after Health Ministry officers from the Centre and six states discussed all cases of SARS reported so far in the country during the first meeting of the joint Centre-state action group on SARS. The Directors-General, Health Services, Maharashtra and West Bengal, were also present at the meeting.

“India is SARS-free. Twenty cases were found positive for SARS in laboratory tests. Today, the WHO has said that laboratory tests are not confirmatory. They are only supportive and corroborative. Therefore, none of these cases, except the case reported from Goa, falls in the definition of SARS. The patient from Goa, P. Vardhe was discharged from Goa Medical College and Hospital after he had recovered. The WHO has said that even after the test is positive, the person is not considered a SARS probable case unless clinical and epidemological evidence is available.’’ the Health Minister said.

To a question, Mrs Swaraj said alertness following the SARS scare will be maintained as there was no cause for complacency.

The WHO representative to India, Dr Salim Habaytb, who attended the meeting of the joint action group, earlier in the day told mediapersons that SARS was a threat to the whole world. “We should keep up the vigil. India has no case that fits the SARS definition. There are no cases that fit the criterion fixed by the WHO. But precautionary measures need to be scaled up. We have a public health responsibility,” Dr Habaytb said.

Dr Nyonmon K. Umara Rai, Director, Communicable Disease Control, WHO, South-East Asia, said they had recommended that only samples of suspected cases of SARS be sent for laboratory testing.