Jaipur: Five more deaths due to swine flu were reported in Rajasthan on Thursday, taking the toll since the beginning of the year to 73, officials said.
“The deaths were reported from Jaipur, Dausa and Jodhpur. Besides, 19 more people tested positive on Thursday for swine flu,” a health department official said.
The disease has created panic in the state, and over 270 people on Thursday reached the state’s largest government-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur for swine flu tests.
An official said that till Wednesday, 437 people tested positive for the H1N1 virus, with the maximum of 152 from Jaipur. There were also reports of shortage of tablets used for treating H1N1 virus from many areas.
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who himself is recuperating after being detected with swine flu, flayed the Vasundhara Raje government for delay in arranging 10 lakh Tamiflu tablets used for treating the flu.
Two more women die of swine flu in Mumbai, Maharashtra count 27
MUMBAI: Two diabetic women from Kharghar and Badlapur died of swine flu in different city hospitals on Thursday, bringing the panic closer home and taking the state’s death toll this year to 27.
The BMC said 10 Mumbaikars, including two children, have tested positive for the virus within five days of this month.
Swinging into action, it is keeping at least two ventilators in all its hospitals on standby for H1N1 patients and monitoring relations of all infected patients.
With 27 deaths in 35 days, the state has sounded an alert across Maharashtra and procured stocks of Tamiflu, the medicine used to treat swine flu.
Kharghar resident Madhu Kothari, 34, died of multi-organ failure at Jaslok Hospital in Peddar Road after battling the virus for over three weeks. The mother of two had a travel history to Rajasthan, which has reported the highest number of H1N1 deaths (49) in the country since January. What complicated matters for her was a probable delay in diagnosis and treatment. She was treated in two local hospitals before being shifted to Jaslok on Monday and had been administered steroids.
“Steroids are strictly not advisable in H1N1 patients and can complicate things. There was an involvement of multiple organs in her case and she was on ventilator,” said Dr Om Srivastava, who was treating her at Jaslok Hospital. He said swine flu can be life-threatening for people with underlying health conditions.
The death of a 60-year-old woman from Badlapur, who apparently contracted the infection from her granddaughter, has taken Kasturba Hospital doctors by surprise. She was on BiPap machine, a non-invasive ventilator, and doing better than the other swine flu patients in the hospital’s isolation facility. Her sugar levels too were under control. “She deteriorated rapidly and succumbed in the morning. She was not that critical,” said a doctor.
So far, the four deaths reported from city hospitals over a fortnight have been of persons from the city’s periphery or further out — Jalgaon, Palghar, Kharghar and Badlapur. An influx of swine flu patients coming to city for treatment began from January 19.
“There are only 10 positive cases in Mumbai and no deaths so far,” said Sanjay Deshmukh, additional municipal commissioner, BMC. Among the positive patients are two four- and nine-year-old girls from Goregaon and Santacruz, respectively, who are recovering. A 65-year-old man from Mulund continues to be critical and is on ventilator.
The civic body has begun contact tracing and closely monitoring the kin of the swine flu-infected patients. “So far, cases have come from all over the city, including Malabar Hill, Malad, Goregaon, Borivli, Andheri and Bhulabhai Desai Road,” said Dr Mangala Gomare, epidemiologist, BMC.
While speculation continues about the sudden spike in the infection that had caused a pandemic in 2009 and subsequently mellowed down to become one of the seasonal viruses, Deshmukh said a “prolonged winter” was being looked at as one of the leading causes.
The state’s public health department also sounded an alert across the state. “We have procured enough stock of Oseltamivir, commonly called Tamiflu. We also have enough N95 masks for our healthcare workers. We are looking at the vaccine as an option for volunteers and doctors,” said Dr Satish Pawar, head, Directorate of Health Services (DHS). Around 128 hospitals have been prepped to treat swine flu patients, with 34 offering full-fledged ICU services.
In Mumbai, all civic hospitals will keep at least two ventilators on standby for H1N1 patients. Deshmukh said enough stocks of Tamiflu have been locally procured. The BMC has also started a helpline for citizens to call and report their conditions or clear doubts.
The DHS has further instructed that more people should be tested as opposed to the current protocol of testing only serious cases or those with co-morbid conditions. Also, the state has directed that prophylactic treatment should be started for contacts of H1N1 patients without any delay once symptoms show.
