Hundreds of anxious people, many with young children, crowded hospitals across the country to be tested for the H1N1 virus.
Hundreds of anxious people, many with young children, crowded hospitals across the country to be tested for the H1N1 virus, two days after India confirmed its first swine flu fatality. Lines were broken, tempers lost and medical staff were seen trying to get some order in place but no one was willing to listen.
It was worst in Pune, which recorded the country’s first swine flu death. Thousands turned up outside Naidu hospital, the city’s only swine flu testing centre. Most of them, according to a medical official, were suffering from normal flu but didn’t want to take any chances after 14-year-old Reeda Shaikh’s death.
"Till afternoon today, more than 1,000 people have visited us. They are scared of swine flu," said Sanjay Walehker, an official at the epidemic helpline in the Naidu Hospital.
All states across the country have been put on high alert. The Uttar Pradesh government has constituted medical check up posts to test suspected swine flu patients coming from abroad.
“We have also created a rapid response time to check any outbreak," said state medical and health minister Anant Kumar Mishra.
Goa, on the other hand, has invoked the Epidemic Control Act, 1897. There are seven swine flu patients under quarantine in Goa.The Tamil Nadu government has asked people to avoid Pune and Satara. All TV channels in the state were asked to convey the message to the people.
“Children shouldn’t be allowed to travel to these regions. Any holiday plans to these areas must be deferred and adults should travel to these regions only if it’s very essential for them to do so. We are setting up medical teams in stations to screen patients arriving from Pune and Satara,” said preventive medicine director Dr Elango.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}