Swine flu scares grips state

Four new swine flu cases were detected in the state on Wednesday. Among the 10 samples sent for H1N1  test to the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), four were detected positive. Of whom one each was from city-based Kalinga Hospital, Apollo Hospital and Kar Clinic while the fourth case was from VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla.

It was a case of twin tragedy for the Sethi family here on Wednesday. Barely minutes after swine flu victim, assistant commercial tax commissioner, Harihara Sethi, was cremated at Swargadwar in Puri, his 27-year-old daughter, succumbed to the same disease in a private hospital here.

In another incident, wife of Bargarh BJD president, died of the flu at VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla on the same day.

Manini Manaswini, a lecturer in a private engineering college, was admitted to Apollo Hospital here on August 6. She came with complaints of fever and cough but later developed acute respiratory complaints. Suspecting swine flu, her swab sample was sent for tests. It was detected positive. She was kept on ventilator but she succumbed to the virus attack after midnight.

"I had taken the body of my father for cremation when I got news of my sister's death. What's more tragic is that I did not get a vehicle to take the body as neither the hospital staff nor any ambulance driver helped us," said Suvendu Mohanty, son of Sethi.

Supriya Mishra, wife of the Bargarh district BJD president Pravat Aditya Mishra, died of the H1N1 virus on Wednesday. Supriya was admitted to a private nursing home at Burla, a couple of days back after she fell ill. When her swab test report confirmed H1N1 positive, a team of doctors visited the patient and shifted her to the medical college. She was kept in an isolated ward on ventilator for observation and died on Wednesday morning.

This was the third death due to swine flu in the last 24 hours. As many as seven people have died of the flu since July. A total of 42 swab samples have been tested since July, out of which 17 have been positive.

Swine flu deaths have sent panic waves across the state. Even doctors do not feel safe inside hospitals due to lack of adequate vaccination facilities. In many hospitals, physicians and staff complained of shortage of masks and gloves.

Ironically, the deaths have not spared Bargarh, the state health minister's home town. The minister, who was scheduled to visit Sambalpur and Bargarh on Wednesday, cancelled his trip. "I called off my tour because I felt I was more needed in Bhubaneswar. I have instructed senior heath officials to be alert and keep a close watch," said health minister Prasanna Acharya.