Swine Flu Death Toll Reaches 6 in JK

The H1N1 virus has claimed one more life in Kashmir with a youth from Kokernag losing battle against the deadly virus at SKIMS late last night taking the death toll to six in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to SKIMS officials, a 28-year-old male patient from Kokernag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district died late Saturday night after testing positive for H1N1 virus.
“The patient was admitted in SKIMS on February 19 with Cardiomyopathy (serious cardiac ailment) and other related complications. Later he was also tested positive for H1N1 flu virus which deteriorated his health and he died,” Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Dr Farooq Jan told .
With this the death toll due to H1N1 flu reached five in Kashmir. In Jammu, a superintendent of police lost battle against the virus last week.
Dr Jan said a 20-year-old female patient from Soura was admitted in Isolation ward of SKIMS on Sunday after testing positive for H1N1. “The patient is stable now and so far the total number of H1N1 patients admitted in SKIMS is eight,” he said.
According to SKIMS PRO, Sanna Kulsoom, around 200 patients with respiratory symptoms were seen at the special OPD on Sunday up to 3pm, out of which samples were taken from 30 patients.
Dr Jan said all the required facilities are in place and SKIMS has received 5000 N95 masks and 3000 Tamiflu tablets “and more are expected to be received soon”.
He reiterated that there is no need to panic and people should take necessary precautions.
Meanwhile, Directorate of Health Services Kashmir released data regarding H1N1 (Influenza A) cases in peripheral hospitals of Kashmir.
“The hospitals and screening center of DHSK has screened nearly 18409 Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) patients for H1N1 flu,” DHSK spokesman said in a statement.
He said out of 12 suspected patients who were referred to SKIMS, three were found H1NI positive (as per the follow up from SKIMS).
“Moreover, total laboratory confirmed cases in Kashmir Division, excluding cases in SKIMS, which have been picked up by prompt screening of the IDSP units of DHSK are 14. So far five H1N1 infected patients were found in Kunzer, three from Leh, one from Ganderbal, two from Anantnag and three from Tral,” the spokesman said.
He said recently there was an outbreak of ARI (Acute Respiratory Infection) at Kunzer in Baramulla and Tral in Pulwama.
“In Kunzer the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) team of DHSK detected five H1N1 from suspected cases while as in Tral three cases of H1N1 were identified after the throat swabs were taken from suspected cases and samples sent to SKIMS,” the spokesman said.
Earlier, IDSP team of Ladakh had reported three suspected cases which came out to be H1N1 positive.
Six Tested Positive In Jammu
Six persons have been tested positive for swine flu in Jammu so far, with doctors at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) alleging that the health authorities were not supplying adequate protection gear and medicines to deal with the virus, wire agency PTI reported on Sunday.
Jammu Health Services Director Baljeet Pathania said, “Six patients have been tested positive of swine flu, whereas 21 reports are still awaited. Two patients were tested positive tomorrow and they were sent home as the cases were not severe.”
Doctors at GMCH, meanwhile, alleged that the authorities were putting them under risk not supplying adequate protection gear and medicines to deal with the virus.
“The health authorities and hospital administrations were taken by surprise. In GMCH, we do not have adequate masks and anti-flu drug, which puts the workforce in the hospital including the doctors at risk,” Dr Neeraj Sharma, president of the Resident Doctors’ Association of GMCH, said.
He said there was shortage of masks and tamiflu tablets. Other hospitals in Jammu also have not received the same from the health authorities.
“While the administration at the super specialty hospital (GMCH) refused to issue N95 masks to the hospital staff, they are still waiting for the tamiflu (oseltamavir) tablets as the same is expected to arrive by Monday evening or so,” he said.
He alleged that some chemists in Jammu were selling masks at exorbitant prices. Several doctors performing their duties at the emergency and OPD wards purchased N95 masks from market at exorbitant prices from their own pockets.
“The risk of infection to hospital staff particular doctors in OPD and emergency ward looms large. But the hospital administration has failed to implement swine flu guidelines,” he said.