4 deaths due to swine flu in Punjab: Minister

Four deaths have taken place in Punjab due to swine flu in the current winter season and 17 positive cases were reported across the state, Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said here today.
"There were 17 positive cases of swine flu in Punjab and 4 deaths have been reported so far," he said.
He, however, said that the "situation is under control and there is no need to panic."
The Minister directed the civil surgeons across the state to work in coordination with private hospitals of their respective districts.
He asked them to sensitise the doctors in private hospitals through the Indian Medical Association to immediately report all suspected cases to their respective civil surgeons.

Jayani, in a statement here, reiterated that there was no need to panic as the state government hospitals were fully equipped to handle the cases of swine flu.

"The health department has also constituted Rapid Response Teams in all the district headquarters to identify the suspected cases of swine flu," he said.
The civil surgeons have also been directed to give preference to proper screening of the suspected cases so that the treatment, if required could be started in time, he said.
He directed the civil surgeons to hold regular meetings with the authorities of private hospitals highlighting the facilities being extended by the state health department.

Taking stock of the isolation wards set up in each government hospital, the Minister said that these wards have been fully equipped where the patient has to be kept once found positive with the influenza.
Jayani said that all the medicines and test kits have been made available.
He also asked the civil surgeons to personally monitor the supply of required material for sample collection of nasal as well as throat swabs.
"All the samples would be collected by the trained laboratory technicians and tested free in the government laboratories," he said.
Jayani said that all the government hospitals and also the private institutions with the diagnostic facilities were providing drug tamiflu free of cost to the swine flu positive patients.

Referring to the death of a woman due to swine flu at a private hospital in Patiala today, the Minister said that Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr H S Bali has also confirmed that the patient who had come from Maharashtra to attend a wedding was diabetic, hypertensive and also suffering from hypothyroidism.