Three more die of H1N1 in Multan

MULTAN: Two men and a woman died of H1N1 virus at Nishtar Hospital, increasing the total death toll to 35 on Thursday, said the health officials.

The suspects including Amir Farooq, 45, Furqan, 40, and Dolat Bibi hailed from Khanewal district. The laboratory reports have confirmed that all the three suspects were H1N1 positive. Briefing about district-wise death toll, Nishtar Hospitals’ Epidemiology focal person Dr Attaur Rehman said out of total 35 deaths, 20 suspects belonged to Multan, Khanewal (5), Muzaffargarh (4), Layyah (2), Rajanpur (2), Jhang (1) and Vehari (1). Addressing a press conference here, former Punjab governor and south Punjab PPP president Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood strongly criticised Punjab government’s failure to curb seasonal influenza. “The disease is curable and prevention is possible if timely vaccination is done but the government has failed to control its spread.”

Deploring large-scale deaths, he said that Sharif family’s future was dark due to their failure in delivery of good governance. He claimed that the PPP has bright future and the party is going to demonstrate show of power in Lahore public meeting at Mochi Gate. Mehmood also condoled with Bahawalpur PPP president and ex-MPA, Shah Rukh Hassan on the death of his father. He went to his residence in Multan and offered fateha.