HFH received 19 patients including 6 confirmed cases

Rawalpindi

As many as 19 patients with signs and symptoms of swine flu have been reported at the Holy Family Hospital in town so far however six of them were confirmed positive for the infection by the National Institute of Health, Islamabad.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Saturday reveals that a total of three patients died of the infection at the hospital though they were tested positive for swine flu, influenza H1N1 after their death. The patients died of the infection reached HFH after developing complications of the disease.

As many as five patients of swine flu including two confirmed cases and three suspects were undergoing treatment at the HFH on Saturday in isolation ward while result in 10 cases is being awaited by the hospital administration.

All the three patients who died of swine flu at the HFH were taken to the hospital in critical condition and medically it can be termed that they could not survive mainly because of delay in reporting, said a top official at the HFH pleading anonymity while talking to ‘The News’ on Saturday.

He said an old man and a female patient died at the HFH who were taken to the hospital with severe pneumonia and they were unable to respond to antibiotics. The HFH received a total of 19 patients of which six have been confirmed positive for swine flu, he said.

It is pertinent to mention that after reporting of confirmed cases of swine flu in the region, the HFH has established a proper isolation ward to manage patients of the infection reaching allied hospitals in town including HFH, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.

In-charge infectious diseases unit at Rawalpindi Medical College and allied hospitals Dr. Javed Hayat said there is no need to panic instead people should adopt preventive measures vigorously to avoid flu and patients of seasonal infections should follow preventive measures to avoid spread of the diseases.

  He said the HFH has sufficient quantity of medicine for managing patients of swine flu. Elderly people, children and pregnant ladies need special care to avoid flu as they may develop serious complications after contracting swine flu, said Dr. Javed while responding to a query.