Swine flu kills 13 within a fortnight in Andhra

Swine flu has claimed 13 lives in Andhra Pradesh in the last 15 days, and a worried state government has assured people that the facility to treat the pandemic will be soon available in all government hospitals and the majority of private hospitals.

A woman from Warangal district, who was undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, succumbed to the flu on Tuesday evening, taking the toll to 13.

Shocked by an incident in which a 24-year-old patient died in Hyderabad, after he was made to run around four hospitals due to the unavailability of adequate beds and ventilator for treatment, the government has assured that steps were being taken to provide necessary facilities to tackle the flu.

"I am reviewing the situation three or even four times a day," Chief Minister K Rosaiah said on Tuesday.

The chief minister urged the people not to panic and appealed to the media, particularly electronic media, to create awareness among the people and educate them on the precautions to be taken to prevent the spread of the disease.
 
Rosaiah said the state government was making an effort to procure the maximum number of ventilators and beds to treat swine flu in as many hospitals as possible, and  requested private hospitals to cooperate with the government.
 
Meanwhile, a senior IAS officer from the state has also tested positive for swine flu. Nalgonda District Collector SMA Rizvi was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad after he was diagnosed to be suffering from swine flu.
 
So far, nearly 300 people have tested positive for the disease in Andhra Pradesh, since the first case was detected on May 16.