CHANDIGARH – Swine flu continues to intensify grip on the region with two more deaths being reported from Amritsar in Punjab, taking the toll in the state to four, and one death from Rohtak in Haryana, raising the death toll in the state to four.
In Punjab, 17 people are undergoing treatment for the virus at various hospitals, while Haryana has put the number of confirmed patients in its hospitals at six.
Reports from various parts of the two states have indicated a steady flow of suspected swine flu patients to various hospitals, many of whom are being referred to the PGIs at Chandigarh and Rohtak.
Both the patients who died at Amritsar today were being treated for swine flu at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. However, medical report received from PGI, Chandigarh, has put the cause of death of one of the patients as multiple organ failure due to diabetes and the other as pneumonia. However, for the third death today that took place at Rohtak, the authorities have confirmed that the 29-year-old woman, Rekha from Rewari district, had tested positive for swine-flu.
Rekha’s one-and-a-half-year-old daughter is also suspected to be suffering from swine-flu and is under treatment at PGI, Rohtak. At the same time, two cases of suspected swine flu were reported from two private hospitals at Jalandhar today. According to Dr Satish Sood, District Epidemiologist, Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), the condition of both patients was critical.
The condition of 35-year-old Ajay Kumar, also a suspected case of swine flu from Arjan Nagar in Jalandhar, is also said to be critical and is currently admitted to the DMC, Ludhiana. Also, his wife Jyoti, their two children and his mother have also developed similar symptoms.
Also, two cases were reported each from Hoshiarpur and Khanna. While Ramesh Yadav has reported to Civil Hospital, Hoshiarpur, with high fever and severe cold, 72-year-old Mukhtiyaar Kaur was reported to have been admitted to Khanna Civil Hospital for severe viral infection.
The Health Department has confirmed two swine flu cases in Patiala and another suspected case has been referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, today. Patiala civil surgeon Dr HS Bali said the first suspected case of swine flu was reported on January 28.
