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Swine flu claims 5 more lives, death toll reaches 67 in Raj

The death figure could go up by night as the state level report is being prepared at district headquarters, the Director MHD B R Meena told PTI. Whereabouts of five persons who died today are being collected, Meena said.

Yesterday, ten persons succumbed to the dreaded disease.

Out of these, deaths of two persons due to the H1N1 virus were reported from Bikaner, Ajmer, and one person each died in Jaipur, Barmer, Kota, Udaipur, Banswara, and Chittorgarh, the official said.

Of the 1,200 tested for swine flu, 366 patients were found positive for the virus.

Out of 33 districts, 29 are afflicted with swine flu while Dholpur, Hanumangarh, Sirohi, and Baran were said to be safe as per the Medical and Health Directorate (MHD) records, he said.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje held a high-level review meeting with medical officers late last night and directed them to set up a task-force at state, division and district levels to contain the spread of the disease and create awareness, another official said today.

Task force would be headed by Dr Ashok Pangaria, a member of the Chief Minister Advisory Council’s Health at the state level while at divisional level, the Divisional Commissioner, and at district level, collectors would chair the task force.

Task force would hold meetings to review the situation on a day-to-day basis, the official said quoting the chief minister.

Medical officers apprised the chief minister that there was no dearth of medicines to treat the dreaded disease.

Moreover, ‘tamiflu’ medicines were ordered and its consignment would arrive in the state at the earliest.

The MHD has also set-up a control room for swine flu and started telephone lines for patients, the official said.

Senior officers at the directorate with medical degrees have taken charge to monitor the disease status at all district headquarters to provide aid to patients who report to government hospitals.

8 die in Gujarat;  53 deaths so far
Swine flu claimed eight more lives in Gujarat today, taking the total number of deaths due to the deadly virus to 53 since January this year, officials said.

“Eight persons died due to swine flu today, which took the total number of deaths to 53 since January. Besides, 61 new cases have also been reported today,” Gujarat Health Commissioner J P Gupta told PTI.

Ahmedabad and Surat districts registered two deaths each due to swine flu, while one fatality each was recorded in Kutch, Dahod, Dwarka and Vadodara districts of the state, he said.

Total 415 cases of swine flu tested positive in the state so far, of which 160 patients have been cured, Gupta added.

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