H1N1: Hospitals on high alert

The same is being done at the three hospitals in the city — GMCH-32,GMSH-16 and PGI in Sector12. Officials said so far the cases coming to these hospitals haven’t shown any abnormal trend.

The Health department is also coordinating with the Education department to scan students,who had been out on overseas trips in the recent few weeks.

“The school children from Jalandhar,who went on a trip to NASA,tested positive for swine flu. We are trying to check if any such group went from Chandigarh also on overseas trips. So far,we haven’t found any,but we would seek the same information from the private schools also,” a senior education official said.

Meanwhile,the four members of a family living in Sector 49 continued to remain indoors for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.

The family was quarantined on Friday after it stayed with a person infected with the H1N1 virus in Delhi.

The family is not being allowed to venture out and no visitor is allowed in their apartment. The family is given a single dose of Tamiflu — the drug which combats swine flu— once a day before lunch.

“According to guidelines,the drug is given in the presence of health officials. The family is very cooperative and is adhering to all guidelines issued by the Health ministry for quarantined persons,” an official said.

The family members are physically examined twice a day for any symptoms. Besides,they do regular self-examination and maintain a regular record of their body temperature,which is then checked by health officials.

Also,the patients suspected to have swine flu,who were admitted to isolation wards of various hospitals recently,have been discharged.