Say 'namaskar' -- to avoid swine flu: Haryana minister

A Haryana minister on Tuesday asked people not to shake hands but adopt Indianness and greet people with a 'namaskar' to avoid getting infected with swine flu.

Expressing concern over swine flu cases in the state, Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij told the state assembly on Tuesday: "Angreziat ko chhodo, bhartiyata ko apnao. Hath milane ki bajaye hath jod kar abhivadan karo (shun foreign culture, adopt our own culture and instead of hand-shake, greet each other with folded hands)."

Vij was replying to a question during the ongoing budget session on swine flu cases in Haryana this year.

The minister said 252 positive cases have been reported in Haryana, while 27 people have died so far.

Seven positive cases of swine flu were reported on March 8, he said.

"Out of the 252 positive cases, eight people are on ventilator and 39 patients have been admitted in hospital. Maximum cases of 47 are reported in Faridabad district followed by 36 in Hisar, 32 in Gurgaon, 17 in Karnal, 16 in Rohtak, 13 in Yamunanagar, 12 each in Sirsa, Bhiwani and Panchkula, nine each in Ambala and Kurukshetra, eight each in Jhajjar and Jind, six in Sonipat, five in Fatehabad, three in Panipat, two in Rewari and one in Palwal," he said.

The maximum number of deaths (five) have occurred in Kurukshetra district.

Over 24,661 swine flu cases with 1,319 deaths have been reported across the country so far, Vij informed the assembly.

Neighbouring Punjab has witnessed 218 cases and 47 deaths.