Government hospitals in the Capital have been instructed to heighten their watch for HINI cases after a four-month-old child from Ghaziabad died here this past week testing positive for swine flu.
“For nearly four months, the city reported no cases of swine flu. Delhi hospitals are, however, prepared to take in swine flu cases as we have designated wards, beds and trained medical staff. Even when we were getting many cases of swine flu from the city, the situation was very much under control and occurrence of some sporadic cases after some interval doesn't have us unduly worried,'' said Delhi's Principal Secretary (Health) J. P. Singh.
He said the city hospitals have been “asked to keep a close watch on the situation''.
Director Health Services Dr. S. Bhattacharjee said: “We have one confirmed case of HINI death of a child in Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya in the city and the case is from outside the Capital. The child was brought to the hospital after it developed some complications and subsequently died. As for the reports about the second case at Hindu Rao Hospital we are yet to get any conformation from the hospital. All our city hospitals are, however, prepared to take on any number of cases. We are well-equipped in terms of manpower, laboratory support and hospital back up.''
He said that besides tackling swine flu, the city was also gearing up to ensure that cases of dengue and malaria remain limited with the Delhi Government having already asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the New Delhi Municipal Council to start taking measures to ensure that cases remain under control.
“We had a meeting on Monday to take stock of these diseases besides other items and have put in place measures including fogging, house-to-house checks and awareness programmes. As the city gears up for the Commonwealth Games, now less than 100 days away, we want to ensure that the city keeps its diseases under check and stays healthy,'' added Dr. Bhattacharjee.
