Mumbai: Mumbai reported its first death due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) on Wednesday. A 53-year-old resident of Wadala, who worked at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s BN Desai Hospital passed away after battling GBS. The patient was receiving treatment at Nair Hospital in Mumbai, where he ultimately succumbed to the illness.

In Pune, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) has been actively affecting residents. A 37-year-old driver from Pune recently passed away due to GBS. The number of suspected and confirmed GBS cases in Pune has risen to 197, with five new cases reported.

As of yesterday, there were 192 reported cases of GBS, with 39 patients from the Pune Municipal Corporation area, 91 from newly added villages in the civic region, 29 from Pimpri Chinchwad, 25 from the rural Pune area and eight from other districts. Today, Pune has reported 5 new GBS cases bringing the total to 197, while the death toll remains at 7.

GBS Management in Maharashtra

With the rise in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Maharashtra, the Central government recently issued guidelines for the people of the state.

According to public health officials on Thursday, a high-level, multidisciplinary team from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has provided the GBS guidelines to the state government.

Press Release Issued on January 27, by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

The guidelines state that the Ministry has deployed a multi-disciplinary team to Pune, Maharashtra, to assist state health authorities in implementing public health measures and managing the growing number of suspected and confirmed GBS cases in the area.

The central team includes seven experts from the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Delhi, NIMHANS Bengaluru, the Regional Office of Health & Family Welfare and the National Institute for Virology (NIV), Pune. Three NIV experts had already been supporting local authorities, and the team has now been expanded.

The team will work closely with the state health departments to assess the situation on the ground and provide recommendations for necessary public health actions. The Union Health Ministry is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with the state.

Deputy Director of Health Services and Rapid Response Team (RRT) who is managing the GBS situation. Dr.Radhakishan Pawar stated, “The guidelines are detailed and focus primarily on patient management. These will be shared with all local bodies, including the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations, Pune Rural, and other local authorities across the state.”

Mumbai: Mumbai has reported at least three Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) patients till now. A 13-year-old girl, who is said to be the youngest GBS virus patient from Mumbai has been admitted to BMC-run Nair hospital. 

Nair Hospital dean, Dr Shailesh Mohite confirmed to The Free Press Journal that the minor girl, affected by the GBS virus is admitted to the hospital. The patient is under treatment and in stable condition. 

Mumbai Sees Its First GBS Death

Meanwhile, Mumbai recorded its first GBS death. “The patient was admitted to Nair Hospital on January 23. He passed away at 11.10 on February 10. The deceased is identified as Subhash Dete,” said Dr Mohite. 

Reportedly, Dete (53) was working as a ward boy in the BMC-run V N Desai Hospital in Santacruz. After being admitted to Nair Hospital, he was placed on a ventilator, however, he succumbed to the virus. 

This has taken the death toll from GBS in the state to eight. 

Earlier, Mumbai had reported its first GBS case when a 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with the syndrome.

Gaza, Feb 10: Israeli troops killed four Palestinians, including an elderly woman, in two separate incidents in the north and south of the Gaza Strip, the Gaza-based health authorities said.

“Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces while returning to their homes near the Kuwait Roundabout, east of Gaza City. Their bodies were transferred to the Baptist Hospital,” the health authorities said in a press statement.

In a separate incident, the health authorities reported that an elderly woman from the Mahna family was shot dead by Israeli forces east of the town of Al-Qarara, near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday.

The killings follow the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Netzarim Corridor — a strip of land that bisected Gaza from north to south.

Meanwhile, the health authorities announced that the death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023, has risen to 48,189, with 111,640 others injured.

Gaza’s health authorities reported eight deaths and two injuries in the past 24 hours, including seven bodies recovered from the rubble and one additional fatality.

They warned that more victims remain trapped beneath the debris in areas that are difficult to access due to ongoing shelling.

On Sunday, the health authorities urged Palestinian residents to donate blood, warning that supplies have been completely depleted after 15 months of war.

“Our blood bank is empty, and we need immediate donations to save lives,” they said.