The swine flu situation in Gujarat seems to be assuming worrying proportions, with five more patients dying in the last two days, and more than 100 fresh cases coming to light.
State health department data put the number of swine flu deaths in the state since January 1 at 43 on Monday. The number of deaths was 38 on Saturday, when data was previously released, which means five patients have succumbed since then.
On Monday, one swine flu death was reported each from Banaskantha and Porbandar.
From 781 cases as of Saturday, the number of swine flu cases in the state touched 898 on Monday, i.e. up by 117 in two days. The health department said that 65 new cases were reported on Monday, the highest in a single day in the current season. Of these, 27 cases were reported within Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) limits.
Jayanti Ravi, commissioner and principal secretary of health and family welfare department, said they have adopted a three-pronged approach to tackle swine flu cases. "We are focusing on surveillance. We are reaching out to people and creating awareness. We have also improved our ventilator management so that fatalities can be reduce," she said. She said the government is concerned about the deaths, but the situation is not alarming.
Central government data shows that Gujarat was third in terms of swine flu cases after Rajasthan (2,263 cases) and Delhi (1,011), and second in terms of death after Rajasthan (85).
The health department said that 11 swine flu cases were reported in Vadodara city, four in Rajkot city, three in Bhavnagar city, two each in Kutch, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Sabarkantha, and Surendranagar. One case each was reported in Rajkot, Banaskantha, Gandhinagar city, Gandhinagar district, Botad, Morbi, Jamnagar, Bharuch, Chhota Udepur, and Panchmahal.
Swine flu deaths and cases have risen sharply in the state in the last fortnight or so. As of January 22, the number of swine flu deaths in the state was eight, which is now at 43, with an average of three deaths per day.
Similarly, the number of cases was 397 on January 22, a number that rose to 898 today. The change translates into around 40 cases were day.
213 cases in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad city has reported 213 swine flu cases in the current year, AMC data showed. January saw 199 cases in the city, while 14 cases were reported on the first two days of February. There have been four deaths so far, including three in January and one in February.
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From 781 cases as of Saturday, the number of swine flu cases in the state touched 898 on Monday, i.e. up by 117 in two days. The health department said that 65 new cases were reported on Monday, the highest in a single day in the current season. Of these, 27 cases were reported within Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) limits.
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