(REOPENS DEL99)

Maharashtra has reported a maximum of total 1,083 deaths since May 2009, with total cases of Influenza A H1N1 virus standing at 13,009 till January 27. Rajasthan has so far lost 428 lives, with 5,367 total cases and Gujarat lost 528 precious lives with 2,517 confirmed cases of H1N1 and Karnataka lost 314 lives with 5,440 cases of the virus. In the post pandemic period, the country has experienced outbreaks of H1N1 during August to October, 2010, May to July 2011, March and October 2012 and now in January�February 2013. Government said the anti-viral drug 'Oseltamivir' is available free of cost through the state public health system and a central stockpile of about 5.5 million tablets of 'Oseltamivir' is also maintained. The government has also asked states of Punjab, Haryana, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and UT Administration of Chandigarh to keep the medical response system in a state of preparedness to screen large number of patients and for managing those requiring critical care. It has also asked these states to follow guidelines on categorisation and testing of patients and provide requisition for Oseltamivir tablets (anti-viral drug), personal protective equipment and masks if required. The Health Ministry has received a request from Rajasthan for supply of 6 lakh tablets of antiviral drug, personal protective equipment and masks, which is being dispatched while the request from Haryana for 1 lakh Oseltamivir tablets is being processed.