Health Official & Many Others Dead in Chhattisgarh Due to Swine Flu

In Chhattisgarh, seven people including a joint director of the health department have died due to swine flu so far this year.  

As per report by Health Minister T S Singhdeo, the joint director of health department was among those who died of H1N1 infection. 

Congress, Kunwar Singh Nishad and BJP MLAs Shivratan Sharma and Ajay Chandrakar have raised this issue. The MLAs have claimed that a minimum of 10 people died of swine flu in the state in the recent weeks. Still no appropriate action has been taken to prevent its spread and patients are being forced to go to private hospitals. 

Mr. Singhdeo said huge stocks of medicines have been made available. These Medicines including the diagnosis facilities are provided free in government hospitals. Also District surveillance teams have been formed to keep a tab on new infections. 

At Medical College Raipur, Microbiology Department of Jagdalpur Medical College and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur swine flu testing facilities are made available. Adding to it, three private pathology labs have been certified for carrying out H1N1 virus tests. 

Mr. Chandrakar asked whether the swine flu vaccination will be given to common people, like it is being provided to health department workers dealing with swine flu cases. 

However, the minister said as of now doctors, nurses and other hospital staff who are at a high risk of infection will be covered under the immunisation program.