A 68-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man reportedly died of high fever at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital on Saturday.
Rani was suffering from diabetes and pulmonary tuberculosis while Sundaravel of Senthurai in Ariyalur district was suffering from high fever before admission to the hospital. Both had tested negative for H1N1 and dengue, Dean G. Anitha said.
There were 106 inpatients undergoing treatment for fever. Except four among them, the rest had tested negative for H1N1.
The four patients, who have been under observation, were healthy.
The hospital has been advising fever-affected patients with asthma, tuberculosis and other lung ailments to approach the government hospital for treatment without wasting any time.
Students of K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College have teamed up with employees at the offices of the Collector and Corporation Commissioner to create awareness of preventing the spread of H1N1. They are distributing handbills advising the public to cover their mouths while sneezing or coughing, wash their hands regularly and avoid shaking hands.
Mopping was being undertaken at the government hospital once in two hours, Dr. Anitha said. The government hospital was also conducting training programmes for doctors and para-medical staff to be better prepared to handle patients admitted with H1N1 symptoms.
Deputy Director of Public Health Services Subramani said patients diagnosed with H1N1 were being advised to take Tamiflu tablets in the morning and evening for five days continuously. Family members of H1N1-affected patients were being provided with tablets and advised to consume one medicine a day for 10 days, he said.
17 ‘positive’ in Madurai
The death toll due to swine flu at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai since the outbreak last month went to 11 on Friday with the death of a 11-year-old boy from Keelakuilkudi at the hospital.
Meanwhile, a 42-year-old woman Meenakshi, who was referred from Virudhunagar to GRH, died on Saturday due to ‘viral fever’ and other comorbidities, hospital sources said.
D. Maruthupandian, Dean, GRH, said that as on Saturday, a total of 14 adults and three children, who have tested positive for swine flu, were undergoing treatment at the hospital. This is apart from 106 persons undergoing treatment as inpatients for fever, which includes two dengue cases.
