The Hindu : Front Page : Swine flu toll mounts to 10 in State

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Monday, Sep 14, 2009
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Swine flu toll mounts to 10 in State

Special Correspondent

— Photo: Nagara Gopal

Taking stock: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah interacting with doctors at a review meeting at Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: The toll due to swine flu continued to rise in the city with three more deaths on Sunday. With these, the deaths from swine flu in the State rose to 10 while three more patients were stated to be in a critical condition.

According to the DMHO, Ch. Jaya Kumari, 25-year-old Madhavi who was on ventilator at Aware Global Hospital succumbed on Sunday morning, while another patient, Narsimha Reddy, from Nalgonda died while being treated for swine flu at Gandhi Hospital. “Three more patients have been put on ventilator and their condition is being monitored,” she added. Late in the evening the third patient, 22-year-old Farida, also succumbed to the flu, according to officials.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah rushed to Gandhi Hospital and hurriedly reviewed the situation with officials and managements of government and private hospitals.

‘State anxious to help’

He told reporters later that nine persons died of the disease so far, all in Hyderabad, and confirmation about the cause of death of one more patient was awaited from the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) which was investigating the blood samples.

Admitting that the spread of swine flu (A H1NI) in the State was alarming, Mr. Rosaiah said the government did not take the nine deaths (State also has 300 positive cases) as a small number. It was anxious to seek the help of private hospitals besides stepping up facilities in the government sector.

Fourteen private hospitals had immediately responded to the call of the government to isolate ten beds each for the patients.

H1NI in Arogyasri

The other private hospitals and nursing homes promised to give a commitment by September 25 after discussions among themselves. The private sector was also asked to mobilise five ventilators to treat the patients. On the measures proposed by the government, the Chief Minister said the Arogyasri Trust would be asked to include H1NI in Arogyasri scheme on the ground that the acute respiratory distress syndrome was already covered by the programme. The reports of samples collected from patients would be sent to the hospitals concerned by SMS to avoid delay in treatment.

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