6 swine flu cases in Jammu; docs say not enough supply of

Six persons have been tested positive for swine flu in Jammu so far, with doctors at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here today alleging that the state health authorities were not supplying adequate protection gear and medicines to deal with the virus.
Jammu Health Services Director Baljeet Pathania said, "Six patients have been tested positive of swine flu, whereas 21 reports are still awaited. Two patients were tested positive tomorrow and they were sent home as the cases were not severe."
Doctors at GMCH, meanwhile, alleged that the authorities were putting them under risk not supplying adequate protection gear and medicines to deal with the virus.

"The health authorities and hospital administrations were taken by surprise. In GMCH, we do not have adequate masks and anti-flu drug, which puts the workforce in the hospital including the doctors at risk," Dr Neeraj Sharma, president of the Resident Doctors' Association of GMCH, said.
He said there was shortage of masks and tamiflu tablets. Other hospitals in Jammu also have not received the same from the health authorities.
"While the administration at the super specialty hospital (GMCH) refused to issue N95 masks to the hospital staff, they are still waiting for the tamiflu (oseltamavir) tablets as the same is expected to arrive by Monday evening or so," he said.

He alleged that some chemists in Jammu were selling masks at exorbitant prices. Several doctors performing their duties at the emergency and OPD wards purchased N95 masks from market at exorbitant prices from their own pockets.
"The risk of infection to hospital staff particular doctors in OPD and emergency ward looms large. But the hospital administration has failed to implement swine flu guidelines," he said.