Even as the Gujarat Government is reluctant to announce an epidemic-like situation in wake of rapid spread of swine flu, the death toll in the State has touched 150 till Monday evening.
According the State health department, total 1,781 cases of H1N1 positives have been reported since the beginning of year 2015. “On Monday, six more deaths have been confirmed. Since January 2015, more than 4,000 close contacts of swine flu cases have been traced and treated,” said a senior official of the health department.
Confirming the seriousness of the swine flu scare, State Health Commissioner JP Gupta said that cases of H1N1 positives are likely to increase in the coming days following aggressive campaign of the Gujarat Government to create awareness. Now, even with the slightest symptom people are making sure that they are tested for the H1N1 virus.
According to Gupta, due to awareness and enhanced facilities at Government hospitals across the State, as many as 692 people affected by H1N1 virus have been cured. “We are banking on precautionary measures as the virus is airborne and its spread is difficult to check,” he added.
Meanwhile, couple of days ago, Gujarat Chief Secretary DJ Pandian held a video conference with Collectors, District Development Officers, Municipal Commissioners and health officials across the State and insisted them to increase vigil and put in more efforts to curb the spread of the disease.
The State Government has claimed that more than 17 lakh people in Gujarat were surveyed through door-to-door check-up campaign in affected districts by more than 3,150 medical teams. Earlier in the month, the Anandiben Cabinet had also decided to increase 1,100 more beds at Government hospitals to accommodate more swine flu patients and had also decided to rope in 1,360 employees in these hospitals for better services.