Four persons from Punjab have tested positive for swine flu even as the state authorities are geared up to tackle the cases of H1N1 influenza virus.
"There are four patients who have been found positive for swine flu in the state out of 38 samples tested so far during the ongoing winter season," State Nodal Officer for Swine Flu (Punjab) Gagandeep Singh Grover said today.
While two male patients who have been found positive for the disease are from Tarn Taran and Ropar, the two female patients, of one is pregnant, are from Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, he said.
He said that the private hospitals are being sensitised to provide medication to the patients at the earliest in order to reduce the mortality rate.
"We are undertaking a programme to sensitise private hospitals so that treatment and medication to patients can be provided at the earliest," he said.
Grover further said that medicines for the treatment of swine flu would now also be available at community health centres in addition to district health centres.
"We want patients should not suffer at all. That is why we have decided that now stocks of medicine will be available at community health centres as well," he said.
At present, tests for swine flu are being conducted at PGIMER and Amritsar medical college.
Meanwhile, health officials said that Punjab government was geared up to tackle swine flu cases in the state.
Sufficient stock of Tamiflu has been made available, ventilators provided and isolation wards have also been set up as per the requirement of all hospitals of the State, officials said.
Government has already urged people not to ignore symptoms like high temperature along with cough, cold and problems in breathing, and they should immediately report to their nearest health centre for the treatment.
