State govt to bear cost of Swine Flu test

HYDERABAD: Fifteen more tested positive for swine flu and a 19-year-old woman reportedly died of it on Thursday even as State and Central government officials intensified efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

Gandhi Hospital's superintendent Dr P Dhairyawan, however, denied reports of the woman's death. Against this backdrop, a four-member central team, rushed to Hyderabad by the Centre on the request of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, met with health department officials and visited the Gandhi hospital.

Sources said the team members expressed dismay over the unsanitary conditions at the hospital and were taken aback to find the isolation ward inside the main building.

Based on the suggestions of the central team, the government decided to bear the expenditure for testing samples at the Institute of Preventive Medicine. Patients admitted to private hospitals have been paying Rs 3,500 for each sample.

But officials clarified that samples of only in-patients will be tested free of cost. Suresh Chanda, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare, and NIMS Director Dr L Narendranath, who accompanied the central team, also announced that an existing machine at the fever hospital will be used from Friday for testing samples for swine flu - IPM is the sole swine flu testing centre right now for both AP and TS.

The central team included Ashok Kumar, Additional Director General, Public Health, Government of India, Shashi Khare, Head (microbiology), National Centre for Disease Control, Dr Pradeep Kumar and Dr Pranay.

Speaking to the media, Ashok Kumar said the State government took every measure to contain the flu. He dismissed swine flu as just another form of flu, which picks up in winter. Asked about the reason for the sudden spurt in swine flu cases in Hyderabad, he said, 'Nasal flora becomes susceptible with change in weather.'

He also clarified Tamiflu should not be given to everybody. 'Only patients whose condition is serious have to be given the tablet. People shouldn't panic. This is like any other flu,' he explained.

Dr Dhairyawan, meanwhile, said Shashi Khare was all praise for the Gandhi hospital. 'The team appreciated the way we are handling such a huge influx of patients,' he said.

On the stinking washrooms at the hospital, he said they had written a letter to the Medical Service and Infrastructure Development Corporation to fix them.