Swine flu treatment: SMS Hospital in Jaipur asked to provide test reports in 7 hours

Jaipur: All the government hospitals including SMS Hospital in Jaipur have been directed to make swine flu reports available to patients within seven hours of blood tests being conducted.

Rajasthan medical and health Kali Charan Saraf recently directed officials to ensure that swine flu reports are available within 7 hours of taking the blood sample, instead of 24 hours. He admitted the problem has reached a threatening proportion and the state was receiving more swine flu patients this year.

There will be separate isolation wards for swine flu patients and samples for swine flu will be taken 24 hours at the emergency wards. Earlier the samples were taken between 8 am to 2 pm and were then sent to medical colleges for investigation.

As the winter season was yet to arrive, the alarming death toll showcased the sorry state of arrangements made by the Rajasthan government. Out of the 99-people killed, 26 casualties were from Jaipur. It was despite the fact that the city boasts international standard hospitals.

The government only sprang into action after the death of BJP MLA Kirti Kumari, who was admitted to Sawai Man Hospital on August 26. The report detecting swine flu wasn’t available till the next day after which she was shifted to Fortis Escorts Hospital for ECMO and passed away at 7pm on the 28th.

Due to Swine Flu, the mortality rate this year has been recorded above 9%. More than 10 districts are reporting cases of swine flu. The government has said that all hospitals have the facility to collect samples for swine flu and all primary health and community health centers, district hospitals and hospitals associated with medical colleges have sufficient medicines to treat swine flu.

The heath minister has appealed to people not to get scared of the disease and to immediately seek treatment if the symptoms appear. Swine flu can be cured with timely diagnosis and treatment, he added.