ENSURE PROPER DIAGNOSIS OF SWINE FLU, SAYS MINISTER

Health minister Kali Charan Saraf has directed health officials to ensure that proper diagnostic investigation is carried out to detect swine flu as 50 deaths have already been reported in September.

On Wednesday, the minister also ordered health officials to ensure that sufficient quantity of medicines are available at health facilities and directed the Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital to set up a separate counter for swine flu patients.

Swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, is a human respiratory infection caused by an influenza strain that started in pigs.

In a meeting with health officials, Saraf reviewed the availability of swine flu medicines and asked health officials to ensure regular supply of medicines to chemist shops.

This year — from January 2017, till date— a total of 5,280 samples have been tested so far, out of which 1,802 have turned out to be positive and a total of 141 deaths have taken place in the state.

Drug controller Ajay Fatak said that sufficient quantity of medicines is available with chemists.

Health department principal secretary Veenu Gupta said that proper arrangements have been made at all district hospitals for treatment of swine flu.

“I am inspecting the arrangements made for the treatment of swine flu every day,” said medical education department secretary Anand Kumar.

“The corporation has sufficient quantity of Oseltamivir capsules used for the treatment of H1N1 influenza,” said Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation managing director Mahaveer Prasad Sharma.