Actor Aamir Khan, wife Kiran Rao diagnosed with swine flu

PUNE: Cases of swine flu have been rising in Maharashtra with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan too being infected with it .

Aamir Khan was to attend the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2017 prize distribution programme at Balewadi, but he had to give the event a miss . The actor joined the program through a video conference and said he couldn’t be present as he was down with swine flu. “I am down with H1N1 and as it is contagious have decided to stay at home for a week,” he said. He congratulated members for being part of the programme and for efforts taken by people in their village. Film critic Anupama Chopra, who was present at the event, said that Kiran Rao, too, had contracted the illness. Among those present for the programme were chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Actor Shahrukh Khan and founder of Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani.

In Pune , Swine flu has claimed 84 lives since January with July reporting 21 deaths.

H1N1 DRUGS RUN LOW

A month after antiviral drug Oseltamivir, which is used to treat swine flu (H1N1), was taken off the Schedule X list of drugs by the governemnt to make it easily accessible, it is in short supply in Mumbai.

The primary reason for the delay is the Drug Controller General of India’s failure to provide fresh permissions to one of the two pharmaceutical companies, which had to stop production after the drug was removed from the Schedule X list, to start manufacturing the drug again.

The disease has affected 3,724 people and killed 376 this year (till August 4) in Maharashtra. (with inputs from Sadaguru Pandit)