11 more swine flu deaths in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: With 11 more swine flu deaths in Gujarat on Monday, the death toll due to the disease since January has risen to 201, even as 145 new cases have been reported from across the state, officials said.

According to official figures, as many as 1,754 H1N1 cases have been reported so far, with 913 people still under treatment and 640 of them cured.

Ahmedabad was the worstaffected city with 51 deaths, followed by Vadodara (32). Surat and state capital Gandhinagar reported nine deaths each.

The Saurashtra region with 11 districts reported 61 deaths.

The state government said it had ensured additional stocks of medicines and taken others steps, including setting up isolation wards in many hospitals, but the number of patients was rising steadily.

Over 850 of the total 9,000 infected persons had succumbed to the deadly virus since 2012. Year 2015 was the worst off, with 350 deaths reported from the disease.

Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot accounted for half of the registered swine flu cases in five years.

5 DEATHS IN MADHYA PRADESH: Swine flu has so far claimed five lives in Madhya Pradesh while 143 persons, suspected of having the deadly disease, have been tested in the state, health officials said on Monday.

“Diseases such as swine flu, dengue, malaria, chikungunya, etc are being analysed everyday. From July 1 to August 13, 143 people suspected of having the deadly disease have been tested in the state. Of the 140 reports that we have thus received, 28 persons have tested positive for swine flu. As we are yet to receive three reports, five persons have died of swine flu in the state,” the Health Department said.

The department said the capital’s Hamidiya Hospital is well-equipped to deal with the disease with necessary monitors, pulse oximeter and medicines in place. The nurses have been instructed to wear masks, gloves and aprons to maintain hygiene. — IANS