28-yr-old city's 100th swine flu victim

Fri, Nov 6 05:38 AM

Twenty-eight-year-old Mohini Santosh Undre from Manjari Khurd of Haveli taluka in Pune district became the 100th H1N1 victim in the district. Mohini, who died of swine flu at Noble Hospital on Thursday, was admitted here on October 27 and was on artificial ventilation.

Though the health authorities are gearing up for a possible second wave of the virus with the onset of winter, there are many who feel the level of prepredness in Pune is far from adequate.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) claimed that private hospitals are not being involved and there is a lack of preparedness in case there is a second wave of H1N1 virus. Dr Dilip Sarda, president of city unit of IMA, said only a few hospitals are involved in treatment of swine flu patients. "We are no longer involved in any of the plans of the administration to tackle a second wave," he said.

However, according to Dr Pradeep Awate, epidemiologist with the swine flu cell in Maharashtra, a final draft of the plan for H1N1 virus preparedness was being prepared and that District Collector Chandrakant Dalvi has been convening daily meetings on the issue. Dalvi confirmed that he held a meeting with the health officials on Thursday and said, "though no one is predicting a second wave, we are fully prepared with a draft plan of action".

Dr Arun Jamkar, Dean of Sassoon Hospital, has written to Dalvi and Pune Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Zagade on the need for management of H1N1 critical patients in the city. Jamkar said experts from B J Medical College visited Naidu Hospital and have recommended that the new building complex could be used to house the ICU facility. "At present, the 15-bed Sassoon ICU is utilised to its full and it will take some time for the private hospitals to be prepared," said Jamkar as he urged that critical care ICU facilities be set up at Naidu Hospital and Aundh General Hospital.

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