Swine flu toll mounts to 17

Pune/Nashik, Aug 12 (PTI) Swine flu Wednesday claimed
five more lives, four of them in worst-hit Pune alone, taking
the countrywide toll to 17 even as authorities in Mumbai shut
down schools and colleges for a week and cinema halls for
three days to check the spread of the virus.

Two women and two men succumbed to the viral infection
at government-run Sassoon hospital in Pune, official sources
said. Pune now accounts for ten deaths and Maharashtra 13.

The victims were Shrawani Deshpande (29), Nita Meghani
(50), Balu Kuland (33) and Gautham Shalar (48), they said.

Nashik registered its first flu death when 28-year-old
doctor Rupesh Gangurde died of the viral infection at the
Nashik civil hospital this morning. He was admitted to a
private hospital on Monday after he complained of vomiting and
fever.

Besides the deaths in Pune, one person each has
succumbed to the flu virus in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Thane,
Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram and two in Mumbai.

With the infection spreading fast, the Maharashtra
government ordered closure of schools and colleges in Mumbai
for a week and theatres and multiplexes for three days. The
decision was taken as part of precautionary measures to check
the infection, a senior state government official said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena and NCP appealed to people to
observe 'dahi-handi' programmes on the occasion of
Janamasthami on a low key to check the virus from spreading.

Expressing concern over spread of swine flu and other
new types of diseases, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad
said the government is leaving no stone unturned in tackling
them

Azad said in Delhi that "swine flu has spread all over
the world. I spend four to five hours with doctors everyday. I
try to see where we are lacking behind and how much science is
yet to achieve. It can be said that there is neither any limit
to science nor diseases."

Swine flu cases countrywide have crossed the 1,000 mark
with 119 fresh cases being reported till yesterday.

A day after the first flu death in Kerala, the state
cabinet today met in Thiruvananthapuram and decided to draw
up an action plan to check the disease. The government will
be spending Rs two crore for setting up facilities at major
hospitals to treat the infected people.

In Delhi, two children of Food and Civil Supplies
Minister Haroon Yusuf have tested positive for the virus and
have been quarantined at home. Three other patients with swine
flu symptoms have been admitted to the RML hospital in the
capital.

As part of steps to ensure smooth cooperation between
the Centre and the states to contain the spread of the
infection, central teams have been despatched to all states
and Union Territories after Health Minister Azad chaired a
meeting of 35 additional secretaries and joint secretaries
drawn from various ministries.

He had briefed the teams personally yesterday before
they were dispatched to the state capitals. He had also
spoken to chief ministers for proper Centre-state coordination
in controlling the virus. PTI Team
DDC
NNNN




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