A 45-year-old man, who was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences with symptoms of swine flu, died while being shifted to the Guntur Medical College Hospital on Sunday. He is the second person to have died from symptoms of swine flu in Prakasam district this month.
A seven-year-old girl with symptoms of swine flu was admitted RIMS today, taking the number of persons presently undergoing treatment at the swine flu isolation ward to three. A 72-year-old woman was also undergoing treatment for suspected swine flu at a corporate hospital here, according to District Medical and Health Officer J. Yasmin.
Doctors at the RIMS referred the 45-year-old man from Alavalapadu in J. Pangalur mandal to Guntur for better treatment as he was also suffering from tuberculosis and HIV.
He died on the way at Martur, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme Data Manager Ch.Prabakhar Reddy said.
Throat and nasal swabs of the four patients were sent to the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Hyderabad for testing, he said, adding that two patients -- M. Padma and A. Anil Kumar -- were discharged after recovery.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao reviewed the health situation with officials.
He directed them to make available enough medicines in Ongole as also in all Public Health Centres (PHCs) in the district.
He asked them to launch a massive public awareness campaign on the preventive measures to be taken.
Dr. Yasmin suggested washing of hands with warm water and soap by one and all. She also suggested wearing of three-layered mask by those suffering from fever, cold and sore throat for more than two days.
Those with symptoms of flu should immediately consult the doctor, instead of taking medication on their own, she added.
