Govt issues new guidelines to contain swine flu

The government today issued fresh guidelines to contain the spread of swine flu in the country a day after one patient succumbed to the disease in Pune. According to the new guidelines, patients, whose swab test are pending but have mild flu symptoms, will now have the option of being treated at home.

The Centre, while issuing the guidelines, considered the fact that the fear of isolation at stipulated hospitals was making less people with swine flu symptoms to report.

“After the clinical examination by a doctor at the identified health facility, a person can be treated at home or at the hospitals pending results of the swine flu test,” Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Health Vineet Choudhary told reporters here. He, however, added that the decision of the doctors at the identified health facility would be final regarding hospitalisation of the patient.

According to the guidelines, if a person is being isolated and treated at home, then the care givers and family members would be given measures on how to protect themselves as well as take care of the patient.

“The decision to defer hospitalisation pending confirmation of swine flu stems from the fact that in monsoons we are seeing a huge rise in the number of patients suffering from common cold initial symptoms of which are quite common to those of swine flu,” Chaudhary said.

“People are apprehensive about being isolated and thus are avoiding hospitals. We don’t want to lose patients that way,” he added. In case the patient tested positive for swine flu, then they would be admitted to the identified hospitals and immediately put under isolation, Chaudhary said.

He, however, clarified that these guidelines would not be applicable on passengers who had travelled from abroad and were found symptomatic during airport screenings.

Apart from this, the Government would also hold meetings with private medical practitioners as well as hospitals to inform them about the new guidelines. "We would begin the process of interaction with private hospitals and doctors in Delhi by this Sunday," he said. While the decision to collect samples for testing will be with the doctors and high-risk patients like those with existing diseases as well as old people and children will be given priority. India has reported 558 cases of swine flu till yesterday out of which 354 are contracted from abroad and the rest infected in the country.