After the Maharashtra government declared swine flu epidemic in Pune and Satara districts, parents crowded two government-designated hospitals to screen their children for the disease on Wednesday.
There was violence outside Naidu hospital where a girl, who was brought by her parents for H1N1 testing, was diagnosed with tonsilitis despite flu-like symptoms. Her parents alleged to the media that their daughter was not screened properly.
The state health department has issued fresh guidelines to schools in Pune at a meeting of principals there to decide on a strategy to check spread of swine flu among school children, who form maximum number of H1N1 patients.
It has now been decided that any school where students from two classes are affected will be closed. Classes will be suspended even if one student is affected.
Negligence denied
Meanwhile, Jehangir’s medical superintendent Dr Prasad Muglikar denied charges of “medical negligence.”
He told mediapersons that after the report came on July 31 that showed Rida tested positive for swine flu, “we immediately isolated her.”
“The National Institute of Virology (NIV) told us that they will alert Central and state authorities. The Director of Health Services had visited the hospital recently and taken stock of the situation,” he said.
Dr Muglikar said the hospital “refutes the charges” of medical negligence and will cooperate in any enquiry in this regard.
“We are given to understand that allegations have been made about negligence. The Health authorities would be the correct people to be blamed. We refute the charges and we will co-operate in any enquiry in this regard.”
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan himself had blamed Jegangir for Rida’s death.
The authorities are alleging that Jehangir hospital did not inform the authorities in time and Rida died because she could not get proper treatment on time.
While charges are being traded, six more cases of swine flu were reported from Pune in past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 107.
Students
Three of them are students who contacted the virus from previously positive cases, while another is a 20-year-old local who was in touch with visiting foreign nationals.
In Mumbai, two new cases have been reported. One is a 10-year old boy who arrived from the United States, and the another is a 28-year old person flying in from Bangkok. Both patients reported to government health facility within 24 hours of landing with the symptoms.
