As many as 16 more samples of suspected swine flu patients were sent to National Center for Disease Control, New Delhi taking the total samples sent to 119 till date. Health department has sounded an alert as the State has recorded one confirmed swine flu death and more than a dozen patients have been tested positive with influenza.
“On Saturday, 14 samples of suspected swine flu patients were sent from Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital while two samples were sent from outside the hospital,’’ said Dr Shubhra Singh of Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital. Notably five persons were tested positive with swine flu on Friday including an IAS officer and his wife, sources said. All the patients are under treatment in private hospitals.
With a drop in temperature, the number of suspected patients has increased in the State. On Friday 20 samples were sent to New Delhi for testing. Meanwhile the officers have made proper arrangements for treatment of patients at government hospitals. Isolation wards have been established at Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital, Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) Bilaspur and arrangements have been made for treatment at district hospitals.
Initially, shortage of Tamiflu tablets was observed in the hospitals and was supplied immediately when the matter was taken into notice by the authorities. Chief Minister Raman Singh too reviewed the preparations to deal with swine flu and jaundice in the State. He had issued directions to the officers to take appropriate steps to check the diseases. The lone death due to swine was reported from Durg district. A 27-year old man had succumbed to the disease in a private hospital on Thursday.