6-year-old Bankura girl dies at city hospital, swine flu suspected

Kolkata: A 6-year-old girl from Bankura died at a city hospital with swine flu-like symptoms. The state Health department has sought a report from the hospital authorities in this regard.

Sritama Roy (6), a resident of Kotolpur village in Bankura, was taken to the Institute of Child Health in Park Circus eight days ago, after she complained of fever and serious respiratory distress.

After a thorough check-up, the doctors at the hospital decided to shift her to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). However, her health condition gradually deteriorated,

following which she died at the hospital on Wednesday morning.

Sources in the hospital said that the victim died as she had been suffering from swine flu for the past few days. The girl's swab tests have also confirmed the disease. The hospital authorities are yet to confirm how the victim had contracted the disease.

It has also been learnt from the sources that another patient has been undergoing treat-

ment at the hospital with

swine flu.

The state Health department is yet to confirm if the child actually died of swine flu or not. The department has asked the hospital authorities to submit a report regarding the treatment of the victim.

The Health department had issued an alert to all the government-owned hospitals and medical colleges, after some patients were admitted to the city hospitals with swine flu-like symptoms a month ago. The hospitals were also asked to put in place an isolation ward, so that the patients with swine flu-like symptoms can be kept there.

The department had also issued necessary guidelines to the hospitals for the treatment of the patients complaining of such symptoms.

Sritama's family members said that she had complained of fever around two weeks ago. They had then taken her to a local doctor. Some blood tests were done on the patient, but nothing was found. The doctor had also advised the patient to take some medicines.

She had been under the medication of the local doctor for five days. As her condition failed to improve, some local residents told them to take the patient to the city hospital.