After dengue and other vector-borne diseases, H1N1 cases are now being reported in the city.
Fifteen of the 24 confirmed H1N1 cases in the State, reported from January 1 till date, have been from Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits.
Free supply of medicine stopped
Hospitals in the city are finding it difficult to cope with the situation as the free supply of H1N1 medicine from the Centre has been stopped. The hospitals have been asked to procure it locally, which is turning out to be an expensive affair.
Although Health Director H.C. Ramesh said the department had released Rs. 1 lakh to all District Health Officers (DHOs) for procurement of the medicine (Tamiflu tablets) locally, hospitals in the city are buying it on their own as and when required.
Sources in the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD), which has a quarantine centre for H1N1 and Ebola cases, said that for the last two months, the hospital had been procuring the medicine with its own funds.
Health Minister U.T. Khader said the situation was not alarming. Although surveillance had been stepped up, especially in districts bordering Telangana (Bidar, Gulbarga and Raichur), it was important for people to take precautions and not ignore any symptoms, he said.
RGICD Director Shashidhar Buggi attributed the cases to the fluctuating climate. “The flu can be treated if people seek medical advice at the earliest. But most people tend to ignore the symptoms and report it only when the condition worsens,” he said.