Defer foreign tour till swine flu pandemic is over: Govt

The government on Monday asked people, particularly students, to defer foreign visits till the swine flu pandemic is controlled globally.

"Till this disease is not controlled globally. I would like to request young people, from educational institutions going abroad, that they can suspend their visits for the time being," Union Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

"They can go after 2-3 months," he said even as he asserted that the disease was under control as nearly half of those affected have been cured. Medicine is available in plenty and the most important thing is that this disease is 100 per cent curable, Azad said.

"Out of total 23 cases, 11 have already been treated and discharged. So you are only left with 12 cases," he said.

Keeping in view the size and population of the country, 11-12 cases is nothing as compared to the most developed countries, Azad added.

The minister held a meeting with senior officials earlier in the day to review the state of preparedness to tackle the spread of swine flu virus.

He asked the Director General of Health Services to rush a Rapid Response Team to Punjab, where a group of students coming from the US showed symptoms of the disease, and ensure adequate availability of Tamiflu to check the disease.