Health Dept takes measures to ensure free swine flu treatment

To ensure that private hospitals in Jaipur provide tests and treatment for swine flu free of cost, state health department has formed a three member committee. The committee will carry out surprise inspections at private hospitals and keep a tab on the medical facilities.

“Dr SK Jain, additional principal of SMS Medical College and Drug Controller Ajay Phatak are in the committee constituted under the chairmanship of Director, Medical Education Vachanesh Agrawal,” Kalicharan Saraf, state health minister told DNA.

“This committee will inspect the private medical institutions of the city and ensure that free diagnosis and treatment is being provided to swine flu patients. The Committee will submit its report regularly to Medical Education Secretary, Anand Kumar,” he added.

Earlier, on September 15, the state government had asked private hospitals in Jaipur to conduct tests and provide free of cost treatment for swine flu.

In a meeting with state health minister Kalicharan Saraf, the representatives of all major private hospitals in the city agreed to abide by the government orders.

It is worth mentioning that number of swine flu positive patients is increasing across the state and deaths due to the disease are occurring almost daily.

In Rajasthan, the virus H1N1 has changed its strain to Michigan from California.

As per the health department, more than 5,500 samples were collected from January 1 to first fortnight of September, of which around 1,900 were tested swine flu positive and more than 140 have died.