60 pc swine flu cases in Maha reported from cities: Sawant

Maharashtra Health Minister Deepak Sawant has said that of the total swine flu cases in the state, 60 per cent are reported from the urban areas.
"There are some 60 per cent patients coming from urban areas while the remaining are from rural areas. Nashik, Pune, Ahmednagar, Solapur are the major affected urban areas in the state," Sawant said after holding a video conference with the health officials yesterday.
He said cities like Nagpur, Ahmednagar, Buldhana, Nashik, Pune and Latur will be surveyed again to detect cases of H1N1 viral infection.
During the meeting it was decided to equip all the district government hospitals with ventilators, he said.

The district civil surgeons have been permitted to purchase medicines from local market, if required, and supply it to patients, Sawant said.
He said the Union government has fixed the rate of swab testing in private laboratories at Rs 2,500 and it should be strictly followed.
The minister stressed on holding swine flu awareness sessions in every district for private doctors saying this will help in detecting more cases at an early stage.