Director SKIMS admits loss of 2 lives, sounds alert
SRINAGAR: A week after Directorate of Health Services refuted reports of the presence of any swine flu case in Kashmir, Sheri Kashmir Institute Of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Wednesday confirmed the death of two persons as a result of swine flu and said 71 persons have been tested positive for H1N1 during last two and half months.
Addressing a press conference, Director SKIMS, Dr Showkat Zargar said that two patients who were being treated for swine flu have died during the last two days but asked people not to panic.
71 persons have tested positive and are undergoing treatment, he said, adding that while one death was confirmed to have occurred due to the virus, another patient, a woman, had critical cardiac ailments as well but was infected with the H1N1 virus too.
He however said that we are not sure if that was the cause of her death.
Director SKIMS said: The virus is already in the community from last two and half months and there is no way to prevent it. But all we have to do is to take precautions like washing hands, using masks etcetera.
Dr Zargar said the high risk patients were vulnerable to the H1N1 and they should immediately report to the hospital if they experience cough or fever.
Dr Zargar further said that SKIMS had so far tested 275 samples out of which 71 had tested positive. So far this year, we collected 670 suspected samples and out of which we found 275 to be eligible for testing. Out of these 275, 113 had Influenza A infection and out of those, 71 were declared positive for the H1N1 infection, Zargar said.
Zargar further said that people should not unnecessarily rush to hospitals though the SKIMS have sufficient supplies of testing and treatment equipments. We have drugs and vaccines and other equipments, but we need more. We may need more vaccines. If the disease takes higher proportion, then we have problems, he said.
He said the hospital has kept an isolated ward for treating such patients and was providing free testing facilities for the suspected patients.
Asking people not to panic, he said the vaccine shows its affect after three to four weeks. Zargar said an advisory is also there and stated that the health department was ready to deal with the situation.
The Director SKIMS advised the parents not to send their wards to schools if they show symptoms of swine flu. He asked people to avoid gatherings. He said if the rate of positive cases of H1N1 increases, the health department will advise the government over opening of schools accordingly.
The Director Health Services, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman who was present at the press meet said in peripheries the H1N1 patients were properly managed to avoid unnecessary burden but can be referred for advanced treatment to SKIMS if needed.
He said the department was monitoring the situation closely and also briefing the government about the status on daily basis. We have to be alert. We are monitoring it and if we find more cases, then we would alert the government, he said.
He said the authorities were especially wary about the school children which may catch infection at schools.If a teacher or a student has suspicion of the infection, then he or she should avoid going to the school or any such public gathering as more people may catch the virus. They should especially avoid morning gatherings in schools, he said.
The director said if the number of cases increase in the coming few days, they would advise the government to extend the winter vacations and shut the schools.
He also advised people to wear masks especially when in social gatherings so as to avoid getting infected.
Director Health had earlier said a team of experts has been posted at Srinagar International Airport to detect any swine flu patient.
On 13th of this month he had stated that not a single case has been detected so far in the Kashmir valley.
Dr Saleem had said, Since this is a tourist state, we have posted a team of expert doctors at the airport to keep a close watch on people from outside the state. He said he will talk to his counterpart in Jammu so that an expert is posted at Banihal Railway station as well.
A team has also been posted on Leh-Manali road to detect such patients.
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