NRI from Gujarat 4th victim of Swine flu, PM steps in

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) A NRI from India's western state of
Gujarat died from swine flu in Ahmedabad Sunday taking the
death toll in the country to four sparking fresh concerns, as
India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ordered the Health
ministry to co-ordinate action with state governments to
control the virus.

Three patients were in a critical condition in Maharashtra
which closed down all education institutions in worst-hit Pune
for a week. Several schools in Mumbai and neighbouring Navi
Mumbai were also shut down as a precautionary measure.

Shaken by the rise in cases of swine flu which has claimed
three lives in his state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok
Chavan said his government was considering allowing private
hospitals to treat the patients. The government's police
constables recruitment drive would be postponed in view of the
swine flu situation, he said.

The Delhi Cabinet also reviewed the situation and said
schools should not close down without consulting the
government with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit saying
nothing should be done that will create panic.

Praveen Patel(43), who came from Atlanta in US 10 days
back, succumbed to the H1N1 virus at 1.30 AM local time at
Ahmedabad civil hospital to become the first swine flu victim
in Gujarat. His wife was also being treated at the same
hospital.

With swine flu cases rising to about 800, Singh stepped
in and reviewed the situation with India's Health Minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad. Singh asked Azad to ensure his ministry
co-ordinates with state governments on efforts to contain its
spread and set up a panel of experts to correctly disseminate
information on H1N1 virus.

Azad told the Prime Minister that the country had enough
stocks of Tamiflu tablets used to treat swine flu.

"Consignments of one lakh (Tamiflu) tablets have been
flown to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai,
Hyderabad and Bangalore," he told reporters. PTI TEAM
ANU
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