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dies of Swine flu in Peshawar
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tauseef-ur-Rahman
PESHAWAR: Another Afghan suspected of contracting Swine flu virus succumbed to the fatal disease at the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) Tuesday night, raising concern about the spread of the disease.
Zor Mohammad, 40, who had come from Paktia province of Afghanistan with severe pneumonia symptoms, was admitted to the HMC on Tuesday. “His condition deteriorated. He was first shifted to medical ward of the hospital. However, when the doctors suspected that he might be infected with Swine flu, he was moved to the isolation ward,” said a doctor of the hospital wishing not to be named.
In the past week, two patients tested positive for Swine flu (H1NI) virus in the private North-West General Hospital and Research Centre. One of the patients was a woman from Afghanistan who died in the hospital. The other patient who tested positive was an anaesthesiologist of the same hospital who had come into contact with the Afghan woman.
It was learnt that the blood specimen of the deceased was sent to the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, for confirmation and the report would be received today (Thursday).When contacted, HMC Medical Superintendent Dr Saleem said the patient came with severe pneumonia and was treated accordingly. “However, he succumbed to the infection. It was not clear yet whether the patient was infected with Swine flu or not as we have sent his blood sample to NIH Islamabad and after receiving the report we would be in a position to say anything,” he explained.
Dr Saleem said it was premature to say that the Afghan patient was infected with the pandemic. However, sources in the hospital said the patient had the same symptoms as the Afghan woman who had died of the disease. They said this was the reason that the Afghan man was shifted to the isolation ward.
The sources said the Afghan male patient first went to two private hospitals in Hayatabad where the staff refused to admit him and he finally got admission to the public sector hospital. When contacted, NWFP Director General Health of Services Dr Fazl Mahmood said he was not aware of the case as he was in Lahore. However, he said the department had convened a meeting of task force on Friday to assess the situation. He said the Health Department had also arranged an awareness seminar on November 17 for the health officials including doctors and paramedics, which would also be attended by officials of World Health Organisation (WHO) and Federal Ministry of Health.
The official said the Health Department had sufficient medicines to combat the epidemic and all the hospitals had been directed to keep a vigil on the patients visiting their facility with flu-like symptoms.
About precautionary steps, he said the Health Department had provided personal protective equipment to all the hospitals to protect the staff. Dr Fazl Mahmood said his department was trying to contact the health authorities of Afghanistan through WHO officials to advise them to take preventive measures as the situation of Swine flu in the neighbouring country was quite alarming and the frequent movement of Afghans to Pakistan was causing serious problems for the NWFP Health Department.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
