Three more people succumbed to swine flu and 19 more are reported to have already contracted the H1N1 virus in Pune. The others were a 47-year old man from Satara district and a 42 year old woman from Sangli district who died at a private hospital in Kohlapur.
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This was among a series of decisions taken during a meeting chaired by Union Health Minister J P Nadda and Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain to review the preparedness in the national capital to address and manage swine flu in winter months. “Including Saturday’s three casualties, 810 people have died from the H1N1 virus in the state so far this year”.
This comes after a 59-year-old man died at Safdarjung Hospital this week. The virus was named swine flu because in, initially, it jumped from pigs to humans, infecting people who were handling the animals. A health official was heard stating “Rain has been recorded at many places across the state”.
It is the season of viral infections and swine flu and dengue are on a rise. Additionally, central and Delhi government hospitals have to ensure a full stock of the drug Oseltamivir, and the Delhi government has to “devise a mechanism to fix ceiling rate” to test the Influenza A H1N1 virus. The crowds can lead to rapid spread of infections. Besides, several festivals fall in September and October, during which people mingle in large numbers.
Sources said at least two patients suffering from swine flu are admitted at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Prince Khalifa also directed the Health Ministry to raise its level of alertness and readiness to deal with the disease after the recent detection of a few cases, and said it should cooperate with specialised organisations, including the World Health Organisation, to follow up on the disease and tighten inspection and control procedures.
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The medical officer of health, Pune Municipal Corporation, S T Pardeshi, confirmed “People don’t go for treatment despite having influenza-like symptoms”. Experts and doctors have time and again stressed the importance of seeking treatment in an early stage of the flu as delayed treatment has been one of the major causes of death in flu patients.
