A pregnant woman from Dhule became the latest victim of the swine flu virus in a city hospital on Friday, taking the death toll due to the disease in Maharashtra to nine in April. This is the first death due to swine flu reported from Dhule.
Since the beginning of this year, the State has seen 18 swine flu deaths. Most of the cases have been reported from Pune and Nashik.
“A 23-year-old woman from Dhule was brought to J.J. hospital on April 11 after her condition became serious. She was already diagnosed and detected with swine flu in Dhule even as her treatment was on,” Dr. Mangala Gomare, deputy executive health officer of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, told The Hindu .
The woman was eight-months pregnant and delivered a still-born baby a day before her death.
“She was also suffering from bilateral pneumonia. She was administered Tamiflu from April 8 in Dhule. Contact tracing and treatment has long begun in Dhule,” Dr. Pradeep Awate, State surveillance officer, said.
“As of now, there are 14 swine flu patients in Mumbai. None of them is serious. All of them are being treated on OPD [Out Patient Department] basis; no one is admitted to the hospital,” Dr. Gomare said.
Meanwhile, State Health Minister Suresh Shetty said in the Assembly that there was sufficient stock of medicines and there was no need to panic. He pointed out that most of the patients who succumbed to the disease had developed other complications.
