Swine flu in J&K: H95 masks sold at Rs 350, public outraged

In the wake of increase in the demand of N95 masks following the spread of the H1N1 virus in Jammu and Kashmir, various chemists across the state have reportedly been selling the masks at exorbitant price. 

‘The administration seems to be sleeping while the common people are being fleeced. A simple N95 mask whose cost is below Rs 100 per piece is being sold between Rs 300 to 500 per piece’ a doctor at the Government medical college hospital said, requesting anonymity.
He alleged that several chemists across Jammu city have stocked the masks and created a virtual scarcity, and selling at exorbitant rates.
‘The chemist first said that they don’t have the mask, then he told me that he has one piece left and sold the same to me at Rs 350, I had to but it for my wife who is scared to go to her office fearing the disease,’ said Vikram Mehta, a resident of Gandhi Nagar locality. 

The health authorities in Jammu said they too have received complaints that several chemists were selling the masks at exorbitant price.
‘We too have received reports of the black-marketing of the masks by many chemists, we have requested the department of food and drug control to conduct raids on the accused chemists,’ Baljeet Pathania, Director Health Service Jammu said.

Ella foundation to do research on H1N1

The CMD of Hyderabad-based Bharath Biotech Krishna Ella on Tuesday said the company had started the process to sequence the Indian H1N1 virus to ascertain any mutations. The process to identify the virulence of swine flu virus, genotyping it and collecting large number of samples from swine flu positive patients in India has already begun by a group of researchers and microbiologists from Ella Foundation.

“To be very honest, this is not our work and this should be done by government institutions like ICMR and NIV. Before blindingly developing a vaccine, there is a need to understand the virology behind the swine flu virus in India. Earlier, even before the Government could do, we were the first to sequence Chikungunya virus. We have to understand the situation first,” Dr. Ella said while interacting with press persons on Tuesday.

In order to deal with outbreaks, the drug manufacturing company is also in the process of building an inventory of bulk vaccines so that in future the response time is reduced. According to the CMD, it takes at least a minimum of three months to manufacture a vaccine and involves a lot of planning.

“We are constantly in touch with the Government over H1N1 vaccine and hoping that the authorities too would reach out to drug manufacturing companies like ours before the seasonal outbreaks,” Dr. Krishna Ella said.

The top drug manufacturer lamented that viral outbreaks among tribal population, especially in Telangana, are going unnoticed. “There is Chandipura virus that is becoming quite common among tribal population. Young children in tribal families are dying within hours but we are not able to explain the reasons for it. There is a need for Government and private institutions to collaborate in such issues,” Dr. Ella felt.

In an attempt to make the human body respond to vaccines, Bharat Biotech is pursuing an ambitious Vaccine Adjuvant Programme. The drug manufacturing company is collaborating with Director, Emory Vaccine Centre, United States, Dr. Rafi Ahmed in this programme. Adjuvants are used to improve the body’s immune response to vaccines and are usually added to vaccines to improve body immunity, Dr. Krishna explained.

Lok Nayak Hospital's 5 doctors test positive for swine flu virus

The H1N1 virus has found an easy prey in the Capital's medical fraternity with five doctors being tested positive for the disease after coming into contact with swine flu patients.

The trend of H1N1 infection among doctors is high at the Lok Nayak Hospital even though the authorities concerned have claimed to have taken a slew of measures to protect the medical staff who deal with swine flu patients on a daily basis. Sources said the doctors who contracted the disease are seniors.

The fresh development has forced the hospital administration to cut the number of doctors posted at the isolation ward of the hospital where swine flu patients have been admitted.

"The government and the state health department are at fault. The doctors are highly exposed to the disease as they work closely with suspected H1N1 patients. There is a need to have more preventive measures in place for the medical staff," said one of the doctors.

According to hospital sources, five doctors attached to the general medicine department were deputed to work at the isolation ward. In a recent decision taken by the hospital's administration, the doctors have been now shifted back to the medicine ward.

"The hospital officials have taken this decision to prevent more doctors falling prey to the H1N1 virus. Even the administration is worried," said another senior doctor pleading anonymity.

The medical fraternity in the metropolis has been raising questions over the steps taken by the Delhi government to help doctors protect themselves from the disease.

"Covering the face with a mask will not help us much. The doctors should be given vaccination so that they don't fall ill," a doctor said.

At present there are three patients at the isolation ward of the hospital, which means out of the total four beds three are occupied.

The Delhi health department, however, is unaware about the entire episode. "I have no information about this. What I know is that no doctor of any government hospital has been tested positive for the virus," said Dr S.K. Sharma, director, Health Services.

When Mail Today contacted the medical superintendent of the hospital, he denied the allegations, saying the situation is completely under control.

"Three resident doctors and one student have been tested positive for the influenza at our hospital. We are taking enough precautionary measures," said Dr Sidharth Ramji, medical superintendent, Lok Nayak Hospital.

Swine Flu: 70 fresh cases registered

With temperatures remaining low across the country, Delhi, Haryana andTelangana have registered around 70 more cases of swine flu.

So far, 33 casualties have been reported in total.

In Delhi, 26 fresh cases of swine flu were reported on Tuesday, taking the total number infected by the H1N1 virus in the national capital to 285 so far this year.

In Haryana, 41 cases of swine flu have been registered, out of which seven causalities have been reported.

Meanwhile, in Telangana, a further three people, including a woman, succumbed to swine flu during the last 24 hours. With this the number of people who died of the H1N1 virus during the season in the state, went up to 25.

Meanwhile, six more samples from Andhra Pradesh were tested positive for the virus, including three persons from Ongole, with one case being reported from the Chittoor district.

Rajasthan has seen 27 casualties in last 27 days, with 113 out of 383 samples testing positive.

26 new cases of swine flu, 250 this season

Twenty-six fresh cases of swine flu were reported on Monday. No deaths were reported.

“Twenty-six samples tested positive of the 138 samples tested on Monday. This has taken the total number of cases to 259,” said Dr R N Das, senior official, Directorate of Health Services (DHS).

On Sunday, nine cases of swine flu were reported. There has been a spurt in cases reported in January.

So far, four people have succumbed to the H1N1 virus. 

The Health Department had later claimed that one of the victims had not succumbed to the virus with the sample testing negative when sent to the National Centre for Disease Control.

Two more deaths are being reviewed by the Health Department in cases where two women were suspected to have succumbed to the virus. 

A five-member committee is looking into the deaths and the final report is awaited on Tuesday. The Health Department is replenishing its stocks of Tamiflu capsules.

Posters showing information about the disease have been put up across the city to raise awareness.

Pb Health Dept gears up to tackle swine flu outbreak

Shaken out of slumber with a swine flu death in the State, Punjab Government has geared up its health machinery to prevent further spread of swine flue by taking precautionary measures.  A 55-year-old woman had succumbed to H1N1 virus in Amritsar on Tuesday.  Holding an emergent meeting of the health officers on Thursday, State Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjeet Kumar Jayani directed that all Government hospitals should set up separate screening area to screen outdoor patients and also set up well-equipped isolation wards to admit those requiring indoor treatment.

Already, the State Government had sent guidelines to medical colleges and hospitals and district medical officers regarding the swine flu and instructed to remain prepared.  Accordingly, all healthcare institutions in the State are prepared to handle any such incident and they have been provided with ample swine flu medicines and masks, said the Minister. Jayani said that although there was one positive case of H1N1 influenza that died due to swine flu, there were 11 suspected cases of swine flu in Punjab who were being investigated further.

“The mock exercises generating awareness amongst public have also been conducted in the State,” he said. Minister said that all identified hospitals have been directed to be ready with advanced life support ambulance. “The ambulance staff should follow standard precautions while handling the patient and airborne precautions if aerosol generating procedures are done,” he said.

Triple layer surgical masks should be available and worn during transport, he said adding that as far as possible, the movements should be restricted. Jayani also asked the authorities to disinfect the ambulance after shifting the swine-flu infected patient. “Detailed guidelines have also been sent to all educational institutions in Punjab under which heads of the institutions have been asked to monitor health status of such students or staff that might have come in contact with a suspected case of influenza H1N1 to see whether they develop flu like symptoms,” he said, adding that in case they do so, they should be allowed to stay home.

The hostel mess contractors have also been directed to ensure that the care providers wear face mask and wash hands regularly.