JAJARKOT: Health workers deployed in the flu-affected areas in Jajarkot have said they hope the disease will be contained in a week or so. Swine flu and seasonal flu have gripped Jajarkot for the past four weeks, killing 29 people so far.

Teams of expert and doctors had reached the flu-affected villages, along with medicines, about three weeks after the outbreak.

Rana Bahadur Shahi, a local of Tamti in Archhani of the district, said locals have been relieved of tension after the arrival of teams of experts and doctors and medicines.

“After people started taking ill one after another, with death toll rising by the day, even otherwise a healthy person like me had started to lose hope,” he said. “After the arrival of doctors, situation has started to improve and villagers are hoping that the disease will soon be contained,” said Shahi, adding that patients are slowly recovering.

According to Shahi, who is also a teacher, a team of the Nepali Army and Mission Hospital of Chaurjahari are providing treatment to flu patients by setting up camps at Archhani’s Tamti and Tapuchaur.

Similarly, in Talegaun, near Archhani, a team led by Dr Krishnagopal Maharjan representing National Health Workers Association has been treating patients by setting up a camp since Monday.

Dr Govind KC, who has reached Jajarko from Kathmandu to treat patients, said, “Now that the government-set health workers’ teams have reached each and every flu-affected village, it won’t take long to contain the disease. It’s a matter of about 10 days or so.”

District Public Health Office Chief Dhirjung Shah also said that the flu cases are receding.

By now around 30 doctors from different private and government organisations, including the Ministry of Health and Population, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, National Health Workers’ Association, Bir Hospital, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepali Army are working contain the disease. They have helped with medicines worth over one million rupees. Bir Hospital’s Dr Kamalraj Thapa and Dr Durga Dhungana, who were stationed at Majkot’s Sanakhola and Dashera respectively since last Saturday, have, however, returned to Kathmandu.

According to Krishna Khatri, focal person of Jajarkot District Public Health Office, 15 persons have been diagnosed with swine flu so far out of 48 suspected to have contracted the virus.