MADURAI/NAGERCOIL
Two persons, who were under treatment at the isolated swine flu ward at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, died on Tuesday. Hospital authorities, however, said though they had swine flu-like symptoms, they tested negative for H1N1 infection.
One of the deceased, Saravanan, 29, a daily wager from Meenakshi Nagar in Villapuram, Madurai, was admitted to the hospital late on Monday night and died within a few hours. Apart from symptoms of swine flu, Saravanan had pulmonary complications and was brought to the hospital in a critical condition, doctors said.
The other deceased was Mookammal, 57, of Kamuthi in Ramanathapuram district, who was referred to the GRH on Friday. A doctor said Mookammal had co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension and pulmonary complications.
Dean D. Maruthupandian said all the persons with strong symptoms of swine flu such as fever, respiratory problems and cough, were treated at the isolation ward. “That does not mean that these patients have swine flu,” he said.
Pointing out that 11 people were being treated at the ward as on Tuesday, he said none tested positive for swine flu. “There were three swine flu positive cases at the ward. However, we have shifted them to the general ward since their condition improved,” he said.
Hospital sources said as on Tuesday, 125 fever cases, including 45 children, were being treated as inpatients at the GRH. This included two persons who tested positive for dengue.
Meanwhile, advocate Ravichandran, 52, of Thengampudhur, who was undergoing treatment at Kanniyakumari Government Medical College Hospital at Asaripallam for swine flu, died around 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
A total of 29 persons with H1N1 viral infection were admitted to the hospital, and 15 of them were discharged after they were cured of the infection.
Ravichandran was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition on Wednesday last after undergoing treatment at a private hospital for seven days. “With this, three persons have died of swine flu in Kanniyakumari district,” Health department officials said.
