New Delhi, June 17: Though no new H1N1 influenza cases have been confirmed in the capital, 14 new suspected cases were reported on Tuesday. The Delhi
government’s health department swung into action soon after it received calls from three students, part of a 20-member contingent that visited Nasa on an educational trip, complaining of flu-like symptoms on Tuesday evening.
“They had left their cellphone numbers with our helpline at around 7 pm. Of the three students, one is a resident of Vikaspuri and the other two are from Gurgaon. We had sent our team to Vikaspuri to assess the boy’s condition. The boy has been quarantined at Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital,” said Delhi’s health minister Kiran Walia.
The Delhi government has alerted the Union health ministry about the cases reported from Gurgaon. All the students are from a private school in Dwarka. “We have no idea about the other 17 students, but we have alerted the Union health ministry about the remaining cases and have also informed the Haryana government about the two Gurgaon cases,” said Walia.
The Central government is looking after the other cases and is trying to track these students. According to health officials, the health ministry is sourcing out details of the passengers of the flight in which these students had come to India.
Four suspected cases were admitted in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and nine other were in Airport Health Organisation (APHO) Hospital. Two fresh cases were brought to the RML Hospital between 7.30pm and 9pm. “Of the nine suspected cases admitted in APHO hospital, two are from Kathmandu and other two are from Riyadh. Seven fresh cases were admitted at APHO at 9pm. At RML Hospital, three cases are from US and one from Canada,” said Walia. The samples of all the suspected cases have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases for confirmation.
With no new cases reported, there are total six cases reported in the capital of positive H1N1 influenza. “Of the six positive cases reported in Delhi, five have been treated and discharged. We have made adequate arrangements in 11 state government hospitals to deal with H1N1 influenza,” said Walia. The state health department has also formed nine rapid response teams, one in each district, to inform people about swine flu and direct them to the government facilities.
–Agencies–