KNZ NEWS DESK
Srinagar Nov 19 [KNZ]: One more patient who had tested positive for H1N1 virus at the SKIMS has died, taking the total death toll to seven, while SKIMS director Dr AG Ahangar acknowledged that Kashmir was witnessing a surge in influenza cases.
While the institute authorities have been under criticism for not doing enough for protection of doctors and paramedics working in places at high risk of flu infection, the director said 2000 influenza vaccines have been ordered.
At least three doctors had tested positive for the flu. “We are experiencing H1N1 swine flu on a higher scale. Unfortunately there is a surge in the cases,” the director told a press conference.
He said seven patients who had tested positive for H1N1 influenza at the institute had died in the past few weeks while 24 other patients had tested positive.
The latest death occurred on November 16. The deceased was a 33-year-old woman from Ganderbal.
Currently, the director said five patients were admitted at the hospital for treatment of H1N1 influenza.
“Most of the patients who died had other illnesses as well that made them more susceptible to the infection,” the director said.
Asked why institute was trying to suppress facts about the influenza situation, the director said the “government and everybody else was being apprised on a daily basis”.
“The information regarding influenza cases wasn’t being made public to avoid scare,” he said.
He criticized the peripheral health services and other “advanced centers” for sending “every flu patient” to the institute and said they should send only the very sick patients.
“We are the only tertiary care institute. They could take care of these patients at primary and secondary level at least,” he said.
The director said, “The practice of sending influenza patients to SKIMS is not justified considering other hospitals have drugs, masks, isolation areas and even ventilators.”
He said that medical and surgical ICUs have also been readied to handle H1N1 flu cases in addition to increasing the capacity of the isolation ward.
As many as 250 vaccines have been administered to the hospital staffers working in high-risk places.
DrAijazNabiKoul from the department of medicine told the press conference that Kashmir was experiencing a surge in influenza cases at this point of time but the “health authorities had been caught unawares”.
“We did not anticipate that flu will come so early this year. Our hospital has geared up for a situation which was not expected at this point of time. There is a surge in cases but it is just the beginning, the peak is yet to come. Our experience tells us that our peak is expected in February (next year),” he added
