Swine flu deaths spread beyond the western region claiming the life of a four-year-old boy in Chennai and two more persons from Pune fell victims raising the toll to seven today, as a worried Centre roped in private hospitals to join the battle against the disease.
With swine flu cases in the country surging close to the 1,000 mark, the Centre unveiled fresh initiatives to contain the spread of the deadly H1N1 virus allowing private labs to conduct tests for the disease and private hospitals to provide tratment. Ninety-five fresh case--half of it from Pune--were reported across the country today taking the total to 959.
As government hospitals bore the brunt of the suspected cases, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in signficant comments said government if required will even issue "legal directives" to private hospitals to treat the afflicted persons. Thermal scanners will be also installed at all international airports in the country to detect the cases.
Pune, the epicentre of the H1N1 virus infections, recorded the fourth swine flu death when 35-year-old chemist Sanjay Tilekar succumbed to the virus at Sassoon government hospital tonight. Tilekar became the seventh victim in the country. A 35-year-old Ayurvedic practioner Babasahib Mane died in the same hospital earlier in the day.
In Chennai, B Sanjay, an asthmatic admitted to a private hospital with kidney and liver-related complications and had tested positive for swine flu, died this morning in the first H1N1 fatality in Tamil Nadu, health officials said.
"The number of swine flu cases are rising. We have to work a little harder," Azad said in New Delhi.
Maharashtra government also announced a shutdown of schools and colleges for a week in Pune while theatres and multiplexes will remain shut for three days. Mumbai and Ahmedabad had accounted for one death each.