2 more swine flu deaths reported

Earlier,a 61-year-old woman from Behala,Usha Singhvi,died on Wednesday. She was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension. She had been admitted in B M Birla Hospital on July 16. The throat swab of both the patients confirmed that they were suffering from swine flu,according to nodal officer of the Health Department Asit Kumar Biswas.

“Nine patients tested positive for swine flu today. At present,38 patients are admitted in Beleghata ID Hospital —two of them in critical condition,” according to an official release of the health department.

The first swine flu death was reported on July 20 with the death of a 58-year-old man. In 2009,a total of 135 people were affected by swine flu in the state,however,no casualties were reported.

Meanwhile,the state health department has roped in private hospitals to provide emergency services to swine flu patients. It has asked 10 private hospitals,along with army command hospital and railway hospital,to open isolation wards and admit swine flu patients.

The government has also decided to open swine flu wards at NRS Medical College,MR Bangur Hopspital,Sambhunath Pandit Hospital and North Bengal Medical College to open isolation wards.