High Court was told that folding hands in greeting is safer

 The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the State Government to take all preventive measures to check the outbreak of A(H1N1) by providing medicines and testing kits.

The court also directed the State to take the cooperation of private hospitals to tackle the spread of the virus.

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran and Justice V.G. Sabhahit, passed the order on two public interest litigation (PIL) petitions by advocates from Bangalore seeking a direction to the State Government to take expeditious steps to contain the virus.

The petitioners, S. Vasudeva and Shankar Bhat, said there is aneed to take steps to contain the epidemic and that this could be done only if the services of private medical hospital and laboratories were enlisted.

Disposing of the petitions, the Bench said it would repose confidence in the Government to take all effective steps to control the situation and to provide treatment to the affected patients.

Meanwhile, the High Court was told that folding hands in greeting is safer than shaking hands.

The Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Usha Wasunker, made this submission when the court was hearing two petitions on A(H1N1) and the steps needed to be taken by the State to contain the epidemic.