Another person succumbed to the deadly swine flu in the national Capital on Friday taking the total number of dead to three in the national Capital and 5 in NCR. A 38-year-old woman from Uttar Nagar died in the early hours of Friday morning after suffering from the H1N1 virus at the Ram Manohar lohia (RMl) Hospital.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr HK Kar said, “She was brought to the hospital in an extremely critical condition on January 4 and was on ventilator support. She died early morning on Friday.”
As of now, a 30-year-old man from East Delhi and
42-year-old woman from Uttam Nagar have died due to swine flu in the city. Also, a total 31 cases of swine flu have been reported this year.
Dr Kar said that they have created a 30-bed swine flu isolation ward with four ventilators. The other designated 21 hospitals have also been directed to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) for treatment of swine flu.
Union Health Secretary luv Verma asked people to remain calm and vigilant. “This is a seasonal flu for which we will now be shortly putting out ‘dos and don’ts’. In 2014, there were 1,000 cases and this time it is still within the manageable range. However, we have issued instructions to Uttar Pradesh and Delhi Government to take appropriate measures and follow standard protocols for treating swine flu patients,” said Verma.
Verma said the Union Health Ministry is planning to buy more medicines even as he maintained that there are enough stocks. “Swine flu spreads mainly by human to human contact and so individuals have to be vigilant and responsible. If anyone develops flu-like symptoms they should isolate themselves and get tested,” Verma added.
According to health experts, the number of swine flu cases may rise as the disease spreads through air and not via vector as in dengue. “The elderly, diabetics, those with kidney afflictions, cancer patients and pregnant women are at risk and should get themselves vaccinated and take common precautions like washing hands well, avoiding crowded places and wearing masks,” a Health Department official said.
“H1N1 influenza spreads from person to person through coughing, sneezing or through touch. The medicine generally prescribed for the disease
is Tamiflu, which must be taken only after doctor’s prescription,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Health Department Secretary has started an orientation programme for the staff of all the 22 designated hospitals, including five private hospitals on alert, and directed them to follow the Health Ministry guidelines for treatment of swine flu.