New Delhi: A five-year-old succumbed to swine flu at Hindu Rao hospital in the national capital, with overall death toll reaching 10 due to the viral infection on Thursday.
Health officials said the total number of cases has reached 2,708 this season, which is higher than previous year.
The panic among people is such that almost everyone visiting a hospital or travelling in Metro trains is wearing face masks to prevent the infection.
Many patients say despite government’s assurance to ensure availability of medicines, syrups for children continue to be short.
Health experts, advise people to adopt simple precautionary measures like avoiding crowded places, maintaining hygiene and visiting a doctor on symptoms indicating swine flu.
“Wearing masks cannot prevent the infection. It is advisable only for health workers or families who have to work closely with an infected individual,” said a senior doctor at Lok Nayak hospital.
He added that preventive vaccines are unnecessary since the flu season is nearly over and only high-risk people such as health workers should get them.
“Swine flu is now a part of seasonal influenza. It can affect anyone but those with co-morbidities like diabetes and heart disease along with mild to moderate symptoms are at higher risk. Families should take extra care for them. Also, there is no need to panic since the infection is self-limiting,” said Dr S K Sharma, director of health services, Delhi government. The government had recently announced a helpline — 011-22307145 — for people to complain in case of overcharging by private labs or unavailability of medicines.
“The resident doctors of hospitals including Safdarjung, Ram Manohar Lohia and Lok Nayak will be on strike on Friday to press for demands such as better security, availability of life saving drugs and policy for regularizing ad-hoc employees,” Dr Balvinder Singh, president of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association of Delhi said.
The association has threatened to launch an indefinite strike from Monday if the government fails to respond positively to the demands. Singh said the stir was forced on the doctors as the government had not acted on their plea. Sources said the agitation would cripple the city’s health system. A senior central government official said the doctors had been requested not to go on a strike as their demands would be addressed.
Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said he had held a meeting with the resident doctors. “I have assured them that all demands will be met. Also, we will write to Delhi Police and the LG for enhancing security in hospitals,” he saAt a time when the city is struggling to contain the swine flu crisis, resident doctors of at least 14 prominent central and staterun hospitals have decided to go on strike.