Death toll due to swine flu in Punjab shoots up to 17

The death toll due to swine flu in Punjab rose to 17 from four in just about 10 days, raising concern among health officials.
"There are 17 deaths because of swine flu till now," State Nodal Officer for Swine Flu (Punjab), Gagandeep Singh Grover said today.
Those who died because of the virus, belonged to Muktsar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Moga and Mansa. Notably, till January 20, H1N1 virus had claimed four lives in the state.
Out of 124 samples collected, 33 have been tested positive, Grover said.
"We are concerned about why the patients are coming to hospitals at the late stage," Grover said.

"If patients with swine flu symptoms come early, they can be treated. We have everything like sufficient Tamiflu tablets etc, but if they do not come to us, what can we do," he asked.

"This time, we have made medicines available at community health centres and village level as against last year when it was provided at the district level," Grover added.
Health officials feel that people with symptoms of cough and cold or high fever are taking medicines without consulting doctors.
When it gets out of control, they go to doctors but by then their condition has worsened, officials said.

All government hospitals have been directed to set up separate 'flu corner' to treat patients with swine flu. An advisory had already been issued to government and private hospitals to provide immediate swine flu treatment to patients without conducting tests.
The test, which is free, is being conducted at Government College Amritsar and PGIMER, Chandigarh, Grover said.
Meanwhile, in Haryana swine flu has claimed one life.
"There is only one death due to swine flu in Haryana," said Aprajita, State Surveillance Officer (IDSP), Haryana.
The patient who died, belonged to Hisar district. So far eight persons have tested positive for swine flu out of 27 samples from across the state, she said.

In Chandigarh, there has been no casualty because of the H1N1 virus so far. "Out of 14 samples collected so far, only 2 were tested positive," a health official said.