Four Swine Flu Deaths in a Week in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is facing the attack of swine flu again with four deaths in one week. The state has registered over 113 cases with 27 deaths since January this year. Maximum fatalities have been reported in Nagpur with 50 patients contracting the disease and seven dying of it in the last one month followed by Mumbai. A 70-year old Borivali resident succumbed to the disease while seeking treatment at Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli at 5.30 am on Thursday.

The last victim to succumb to the disease from a different part of the state was a 43-year old woman from Pune who died during her treatment at a private hospital on Wednesday evening.

Dr. Om Shrivastava, director of department of infectious disease, Jaslok Hospital, who treated the patient at Kasturba Hospital, said, “She was admitted with us early this week with a stable condition and chances of her survival looked possible. She just had a patch of pneumonia in her lungs. However, her condition started going downhill last night and she was put on a ventilator, later succumbing to the disease.”

Dr Mangala Gomare, epidemiologist, BMC, said, “Isolated units have been created at different hospitals and all patients are being provided with due care under experienced doctors. Their progress is being recorded at every level,” she said, adding that prolonged winter was one of the reasons for the disease’s spread.

The state government also confirmed that they are looking after every case very closely to prevent further spread. “Special isolated wards have been created at the district and public hospitals. We have made sure that the medications are also well stocked. Every patient with swine flu-like symptoms is being put through the necessary tests,” said Dr Pradeep Awate, state epidemiologist.

Source-Medindia