Swine flu takes two more lives, countrywide toll mounts to six

Chennai/Pune, Aug 10 (PTI) Swine flu Monday claimed the
lives of a four-year-old boy in Chennai and a 35-year-old
ayurvedic doctor in Pune, taking the countrywide toll due to
the deadly viral infection to six.

The boy, B Sanjay, who was admitted to a private hospital
with kidney and liver-related complications and had tested
positive for swine flu, died this morning, health officials
said in Chennai.

The boy had also been suffering from asthma. This is the
first case of flu-related death in Tamil Nadu.

"The boy was in a very critical condition. He had been
suffering from asthma and he had been taken from one hospital
to another for various complications. Ultimately he landed up
in this hospital for a kidney-related problem...and they found
the boy testing positive (for swine flu)," Tamil Nadu Health
Secretary V K Subburaj said.

The boy, who was on a ventilator, died following "multi-
organ failure," S Ilango, Director of Public Health, said.

In Pune, the medic, Babasahib Mane, died in the Sassoon
Hospital this morning, becoming the third person in the
worst-hit Maharashtra city to succumb to swine flu, a senior
health official said.

Mane was ailing for sometime and blood had been found in
his sputum in the last couple of days, he said.

With the two deaths Monday, the swine flu toll in the
country has climbed to six.

With deaths due to swine flu on the rise, Union Health
Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad discussed with Cabinet Secretary K M
Chandrasekhar the situation arising out of spread of the viral
disease and measures to contain it.

The meeting in New Delhi was also attended by Health
Secretary Naresh Dayal.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had yesterday asked the
Health Ministry to co-ordinate with state governments efforts
to contain further spread of the disease.

Singh had also asked Azad to take steps to remove
misinformation and educate people about the viral flu.

According to PMO sources, the Prime Minister had told
Azad to set up a panel of experts and doctors to spread
correct information about the H1N1 virus that causes swine
flu.
Azad yesterday advised state governments to set up
separate OPD sections and wards in hospitals to screen and
treat patients suffering from the viral disease. PTI