As the State Government geared itself to meet the situation arising out of A(H1N1) outbreak, 12 more tested positive for the viral flu while the condition of two patients turned critical.
The two, including a Raj Bhavan employee, have been admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD).
The other patient is 23-year-old Lakshmi, a resident of Ashwathnagar in Raj Mahal Vilas Extension. She was admitted on August 15 for bilateral pneumonia. This is the second patient from Ashwathnagar. The earlier patient died two days ago.
ADVERTISEMENT
As the RGICD does not have an exclusive ventilator for A(H1N1) patients, the ICU meant for post-operative cases was vacated to accommodate Ms. Lakshmi.
Her condition was critical when she came to us. She was admitted with severe breathlessness, cough and fever. We put her on Tamiflu, RGICD Director Shashidhar Buggi said.
On Monday, the damp weather did not deter people from coming to the hospitals for tests. Though there were fewer people during the first half of the day, nearly 600 people turned up for screening. With the State Government roping in more than 80 hospitals for screening, it helped ease the pressure on RGICD.
ADVERTISEMENT
Trust doctors
Meanwhile, the State Health Department on Monday appealed to people to have faith in their doctors and not insist on tests. As per the revised guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry, the doctor has the authority to decide if the swabs of a particular patient have to be tested, said I.R. Perumal, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare). The Government had adequate stocks of Tamiflu (nearly one lakh for the city and 10,000 capsules for each district wherever required) and requests for more had been placed. The Government is convening a meeting with the Ayurveda Board to discuss whether Ayurveda can help in increasing the immunity levels, he said.
Sample tests
V. Ravi, Head of Neuro-Virology Department in NIMHANS, said that each test costs nearly Rs. 5,000, and that they are being done for epidemiological purposes, Dr. Ravi said that a treatment protocol similar to that being followed in the West would be adopted here too.