Swine flu claims 12 more lives in Gujarat; toll reaches 219

Swine flu claimed 12 more lives in Gujarat, taking the toll to 219 since January this year, according to an official release issued on Monday.

Besides these deaths, 230 new swine flu cases have been recorded across the state today, taking the total number of swine flu cases to 3,337 so far.

"Gujarat has reported 12 swine flu deaths today, taking the total number of deaths to 219, while 230 new H1N1 (swine flu) cases were reported today," the release said.

Out of these 10 deaths, three were recorded in Ahmedabad, two each in Kutch and Rajkot, while Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Surendranagar, Sabarkantha and Panchmahal district registered one death each, the release said.

The Gujarat government also claimed that 1,945 patients have been cured so far.

Meanwhile, on the first day of the Gujarat Assembly session today, State Health Minister Nitin Patel assured the House that the Gujarat government is taking all necessary steps to control the swine flu outbreak.

Patel claimed that swine flu patients were given free Tamiflu tablets in government-run hospitals, adding that the government has also set up five laboratories, which do not take any fee to conduct tests, which normally costs around Rs 5,000.

All doctors, nurses and other medical staff involved in treating such patients have been vaccinated, Patel told the House.