216 swine flu deaths registered in February: Health Ministry

As many as 216 people have lost their lives to Swine Flu across the country in the first ten days of February as the death toll due to the contagious disease mounted to 407 this year, mostly in states like Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The latest government data said that 5,157 cases of the disease has been reported since January 1 this year till February 10 and the Health Ministry is drafting guidelines for vaccination of health workers who are in contact with H1N1 patients.

The Health Ministry had earlier said that the Swine Flu has claimed 191 lives in the country against the total number of 2,038 cases reported in January this year.

"It was noted that during January 1 to February 10 the total number of H1N1 cases is 5,157 and number of deaths are 407.

"Largely, the cases are from Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Telangana while the deaths largely are in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Telangana," a Health Ministry said in a statement today.

The statement came today after Health Secretary B P Sharma chaired a high-level meeting to review the status of H1N1 influenza being reported from different states.

The Ministry said that after getting expert advise, it was decided that various health institutions treating swine flu cases be "advised" to get the health workers, who are in contact with such patients, vaccinated.

"This will be in addition to the proper personal protective measures being followed at the hospitals. Guidelines are being drafted for vaccination of healthcare workers and these will be shared with the states for dissemination to all health institutions," the statement said.

The Health Ministry has already placed an order for enhancing stock of diagnostic kits to be supplied to the lab network under Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) being used for testing H1N1 influenza.

"To enhance the level of preparedness, additional 60,000 Oseltamivir medicines and 10,000 N-95 masks are being procured. In addition, NCDC has floated a tender for additional 10,000 diagnostic kits," the statement said.

The meeting was also attended by Jagdish Prasad, Director General, Health Services (DGHS) representatives of leading government hospitals like Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdurjung, AIIMS and from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

"In case of need, labs under ICMR have been identified across the country to provide additional testing facilities," the statement said.

To prevent panic and inconvenience to people and encourage only those cases requiring H1N1 testing, the Health Ministry also decided that the communication strategy should create awareness among the general public.

The officials also discussed the current trends of morbidity and mortality, the diagnostic and test algorithms being followed, availability of diagnostic kits and drugs, and other preventive measures.

As per reporters, five more persons succumbed to the flu in parts of Rajasthan during the last 24 hours, as the death toll in the state due to the disease, caused by H1N1 virus, mounted to 109 this year.

Meanwhile twenty seven fresh swine flu cases have been reported in Telangana which recorded 42 deaths since January one this year.

"In the current year, from January 1 till February 10, 2,751 samples have been tested out of which 903 found to be positive and number of deaths because of other complications and swine flu are 42," a bulletin issued by the state government said here today.

Health Ministry J P Nadda had yesterday taken stock of the preparedness of Gujarat in dealing with Swine flu and offered all possible assistance from the Centre to the state where the disease has already claimed 88 lives.