Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Thursday said that 753 swine flu infections, 365 dengue, 337 malaria and 246 chikungunya cases have been reported in the city till August 6 this year. Four patients with the H1N1 influenza have died. However, he added that there was no reason to panic as the administration is well-equipped to handle the situation, PTI reported.
He added that there were more swine flu patients in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and told people to not try and get hospitalised without approaching doctors first. Only the high-risk patients need to take the medical test in cases of swine flu, he said. “Besides, this time we have changed the category of swine flu medicine so that any registered chemist shop can sell it on prescription of a doctor, unlike before when it was difficult to procure it.”
He added that an awareness campaign would be launched soon.
New cases in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat
The office of the Uttar Pradesh Director General Medical and Health (DGMH) said 60 positive cases of swine flu were reported from Lucknow on Thursday, triggering panic in the city, reported The Times of India. However, Lucknow chief medical officer G S Bajpai said that his office could verify only 36 cases, and the rest were still being checked.
These new cases have taken the total number of cases in Lucknow to 233 since January. Of these, 225 were reported in July and August.
In Gujarat, 28 swine flu cases and two deaths were reported on Thursday, according to DNA. The Jamnagar and Kutch districts have been worst-hit, officials said, adding that several awareness activities have been initiated in schools as a preventive measure.
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