Swine flu: Central team visits Hyderabad

Hyderabad: With 19 people succumbing to swine flu in Telangana so far this year, a team of officials from the Centre today visited Hyderabad and inspected a major state-run hospital here.

The visit of the team came following a request made by Telangana Chief Minster K Chandrasekhar Rao to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister J P Nadda yesterday to help the state in the wake of rapid spread of the swine flu virus in Telangana. Rao, who had held meetings with doctors, officials and private hospital managements yesterday, put the deaths due to the virus at 19 this year and the number of those undergoing treatment at 20-30. The team visited the state-run Gandhi hospital and discussed the situation with the doctors and government officials on the status of the deadly disease in Telangana. Noting that the virus is not as deadly this year, the officials of the Central team and also the state government said there is no dearth of medicines to treat the disease and that there is no need for panic. According to Dr Narasimhulu, swine flu coordinator at the state-run Gandhi hospital, the team has appreciated the measures initiated at the hospital though they made suggestions with regard to wearing of masks among others. He said no fresh death has been reported at the Gandhi hospital, where 34 people are undergoing treatment, till evening. However, the Gandhi hospital receives cases from other hospitals in the city, including private, as well. He had announced several measures, including a committee of officials to monitor the situation and appointment of an IAS officer each as nodal officer for every district. Accordingly, the IAS officers reached the district and held reviews with officials of the districts concerned. Meanwhile, Union Minister for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya visited Gandhi hospital and enquired about facilities and condition of those undergoing treatment.