Nadda reviews swine flu drug shortage; death toll rises to 624

Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Tuesday reviewed the drug shortage for swine flu patients even as the number of deaths due to the disease rose upto 624.

Nadda held a high-level meeting in which a committee was formed to visit hospitals and look into the drug shortage.

The committee will comprise of Additional Secretary A.K. Panda and Director General of Health Services Jagdish Prasad besides senior doctors, a senior health ministry official said.

"There were reports of shortage of drugs in some hospitals, like the RML, and the committee has been asked to visit these hospitals and take stock of the situation," he said.

Meanwhile, the number of deaths, as of February 16, rose upto 624 across the country while 9,311 total cases were reported. As many as 38 deaths were reported Monday itself.