India: Swine flu patients lack facilities

KANPUR: Despite the directives for better arrangements by the Health Department, the reality appears far different from the claims. The swine flu patients’ needs are secondary if we look at the required preparations to deal with the tough situation at all. Though one lone case of the swine flu has been recognized in the city, the infected patient was not admitted at the medical college isolation ward for treatment. 

According to the news reports, when a 23-year-old ITI student of Baradevi area learnt of his swine flu after the test reports from a private lab, he approached the hospital for the necessary treatment.

The doctors instead of admitting him to the medical college infectious disease hospital provided the medicines and asked him to go.

Even Chief Medical Superintendent, Dr AK Shukla said that one patient approached on Tuesday morning. He was given medicines. He was found positive in swine flu following a test conducted at a private lab. The Chief medical officer and the District epidemic scientist were also informed of this case, he added.

Under the necessary order, as many as 30-bed isolation ward at LLR hospital, 20-bed ward at Ursula hospital, 10-bed ward at Kanshiram hospital, 10-bed ward at KPM hospital and 5-bed ward at all the community health centres have been set up. Side by side, a rapid response team H1 B1 Control room was also set up. Dr Dev Singh was assigned to its responsibility. The microbiology department lab of the medical college was to carry test of the patients.

However, two ventilators for the critical patients were found to be out of order. Neither the nursing staff nor the faculty doctor was administered with the protective vaccines. The OPD for swine flu patients looked more like a showpiece rather than serving its actual purpose, the patients rued.