The Government Order to provide the A (H1N1) influenza vaccine free of cost to people below the poverty line had been issued on Saturday morning, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said here on Saturday.
A certificate from the Village Administrative Officer will suffice to avail of this facility, he said. Until Saturday, 10 persons had died of A (H1N1) influenza in the State and another 11 persons were found to be infected and 139 persons had been quarantined either at home (50 persons) or in the hospital (89 persons) and were receiving treatment, Mr. Panneerselvam added.
Speaking to presspersons ahead of the workshop for health officials, the Minister said the 10 persons who had died had other chronic conditions which interfered with the treatment for the infection. He also said 90 per cent of the patients had been brought to government hospitals from private hospitals during the end-stage of the disease and lives could not be saved.
Apart from a workshop for health officials at the level of deputy directors and assistant directors, a meeting with private hospitals would also be held on Saturday to sensitise them on the need to alert health officials in their respective areas and provide details of persons being treated for the infection.
The Minister said so far across the State 774 persons were confirmed to have suffered from the viral infection and 635 of them had been cured. While in the first phase, 19,930 public health officials involved in treating the flu had been immunised, in the second phase on Friday, 18,854 health department workers had received the vaccine.
At the King Institute in Guindy, about 3,000 persons had voluntarily opted to be vaccinated so far, he added.
