States told to keep cost of swine flu test below Rs 2,500:

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Feb 20 2015 | 8:45 PM IST
As the swine flu onslaught continues unabated in the country, the Director General of Health Services today said there should be no exploitation of the situation and noted that all states have been asked to ensure that the cost of the test for the H1N1 virus does not exceed Rs 2,500.
"There is no cause for panic. The situation is totally under control. There is no dearth of funds or vaccines to tackle swine flu," DGHS Dr Jagdish Prasad told PTI.
He added that, from now onwards, the casualty figure would only go down.
The toll from swine flu in the country this year has jumped to 743 so far, acording to Health Ministry data.
"We have asked all states to bring down the rate of test for the viral swine flu. It should not exceed Rs 2,500 per test. No one should exploit the situation," he said.
Prasad said that the four states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are most seriously affected by the H1N1 virus.
Prasad said that "the government is constantly monitoring the situation. We expect the death figure will come down now as there is increased awareness and people are reaching hospitals faster".
There have been a total of 11,955 viral cases reported across the country since January this year.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 20 2015 | 8:45 PM IST

Next Story