Swine flu claims 3 more lives in state

Tribune Reporters

Kangra/Shimla, February 26

With two more swine flu deaths at Dr Rajinder Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda and one at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, in the last 24 hours, the death toll in the state has reached eight.

Dr Dinesh Sood, Medical Superintendent, Dr Rajinder Prasad Government Medical College, today said a 50-year-old woman of Dhraman village of Kangra district had tested positive for swine flu yesterday and died around 2.45 am today.

He said a 35-year-old man of Jogipur village, who was under treatment at the hospital, died at 8 am today. Meanwhile, a patient from Solan died at the IGMC, Shimla, last night.

The Medical Superintendent, Dr Rajinder Prasad Government Medical College, said three new suspected swine flu cases were reported at the hospital today and one of them, a 35-year-old woman of Pathiar, had tested positive, taking the number of swine flu cases to 16. He said the results of samples of two more suspected swine flu cases reported today at the hospital were awaited.

He said so far, 32 patients reported at the hospital, out of whom 16 had tested positive and four of them had died.

Dr Sood said out of 12 positive cases, nine were from Kangra district, two were medical students and one patient is from Hamirpur.

Those who died were from Thanpuri, Dehra, Draman and Jogipur village near Kangra, he said.

A 72-year-old man of Nooura Palampur and a 60-year-old woman of Jalladi village were discharged from the hospital today, following improvement in their health, Dr Sood said.

Class XII student tests positive

Mandi: A 17-year-old student of Mandi district tested positive for swine flu on Thursday. It was the first swine flu case reported in the district. 

Medical Health Officer Dr NK Bhardwaj said a sample of the student, who is a resident of Janjheli, was sent to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, in the morning and the result was received in the afternoon.

He said the student was shifted to the isolation ward of a Mandi hospital and his condition was improving. 

He said health officers had been directed to give medicines to those who had come in contact with the patient.

A student of Class XII, he was first taken to a health centre at Janjheli on February 24 and when his condition did not improve there, he was rushed to the Zonal Hospital in Mandi on Wednesday. — TNS

Death toll

• The death toll in the state has reached eight
• Four of these cases were reported from Kangra district alone