At 63, deaths from swine flu this year is the highest in Maharashtra

Swine flu has claimed 160 lives in various parts of the country in the first three months of this year. And the highest number of deaths — 63 — have been reported from Maharashtra.

Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Friday said between January 1 to March 26, 160 people died from swine flu, while 6,062 cases were registered.

In Maharashtra, the dreaded disease continues to take lives in Nashik with 15 deaths reported from the city and the district in the last 3 months. District and state medical authorities have swung into action as swine flu thrives in the heat.

“The Nashik Civil Hospital and rural hospitals in the district have screened over 11,765 patients,” Dr S Jagdale, civil surgeon at the hospital.

Jagdale said that they had urged even private practitioners in the district to screen patients carefully. “The symptoms of swine flu and common flu are similar but still we have urged doctors to gauge the cases and begin treatment immediately,” he told Free Press Journal.

Medical authorities are stressing on the fact that doctors recognise the symptoms and begin early treatment. The government has said it will take action against any negligence on part of the doctors. “If the treatment is delayed, the patient becomes unresponsive to medicines. In fact, we will be sending notices to two doctors, who delayed the treatment of a patient by five days,” Dr Jagdale said.

The surgeon said that medicines used for treating swine flu patients like Tamiflu have been made available in most pharmacies.

Nashik Municipal Corporation health officer Dr Vijay Dekate told Free Press, “We are also working on educating the people about the disease. Delay in treatment can be fatal.” He said that eight persons have been admitted at the civil hospital and 198 patients treated in the last 3 months.