A day after more than 100 people succumbed to swine flu, taking the death toll to 624 in less than 50 days, and reports spoke of a drug shortfall in the capital, the Health Ministry sent out directives to the States to enhance the steps being taken to prevent, detect and treat cases of flu.
On Tuesday, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda held a review meeting to take stock of the preparedness to combat the outbreak.
The Minister was especially concerned about the availability of the drug oseltamivir and protection gear for health workers. Taking cognisance of reports of a drug shortage in a hospital in the capital, he directed a team of officials to inspect hospitals and submit a report on the availability of drugs, diagnostic facilities and overall preparedness.
“There is no shortage of drugs in the country. The endemic States have procured drugs in bulk. Some States such as Rajasthan, which ordered seven lakh tablets — enough to treat 70,000 patients — is even supplying it to others who need the drug,” a senior official of the Ministry said.
“In Delhi, the Health Ministry has a stock of 24,000 tablets, in addition to the Delhi government’s stock. Since oseltamivir is manufactured in India, there is no shortage or delay in its supply. There could have been hiccups in supply in some hospitals, but that is an aberration.”
The official explained that the government had not allowed the drug to be sold over the counter because there was a tendency among people to self-medicate, and since the drug was the only medication for swine flu, they could not risk immunity to the drug.
“When there is a panic situation, people tend to hoard drugs or self-medicate. We cannot allow that, which is why swine flu testing and treatment is being regulated in government-run hospitals and in a few private ones. The focus should be on prevention,” the official said.
On the surge in numbers, the official explained there was still no evidence of what was triggering the outbreak, but the numbers were beginning to come down. “We are seeing a decline in the numbers in Telangana and even Gujarat. The mortality numbers are high so far, but not comparable to 2009, when it was a pandemic.”
The total number of cases of swine flu across the country has now crossed 9,300.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Health Department on Tuesday confirmed a second death due to H1N1 influenza from Bilaspur district.
Narayan Prasad, 54, an auditor at the State police headquarters, died in a hospital in Bilaspur on Monday.
A Health Department official said 42 more samples of suspected swine flu patients have been sent to Delhi.
Swine flu claimed its first victim in Kashmir on Tuesday as doctors confirmed the death of a 40-year-old man. “He was admitted on Monday after complaints of chest pain,” Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, said.
(With additional reporting by Pavan Dahat in Raipur and Zahid Rafiq in Srinagar)
