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First death in Kashmir
Disease kills Ganderbal girl at SKIMS; Director denies
Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Dec 12: The deadly H1N1 influenza has claimed its first victim in Kashmir. A 21-year old girl, Muskan of Tulmulla, Ganderbal died of the virus in Intensive Care Unit of SKIMS few days back. However, Director of the Institute has denied that the girl died of Swine Flu.
A senior doctor of SKIMS while confirming the death of Muskan told Rising Kashmir the patient was being treated for respiratory problems. "We had suspected her for H1N1 influenza and took the blood and saliva samples for testing. Her samples were sent to Sanatnagar testing lab, wherefrom they were forwarded to National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi,? he said.
He said the patient was admitted in the hospital on December 1 and kept in ICU for five days. ?She expired on December 6. Four days later, we received report from Delhi, which revealed that the patient had tested positive for H1N1 influenza,? the doctor said.
The hospital authorities did not make Muskan?s case public. ?Such cases have to be kept confidential as they create panic among masses,? the doctor said.
Sources in the hospital administration disclosed that after the death of Muskan, the ICU ward was not even inspected properly let alone cleaning it. ?There was another swine-flu suspect - Shafiqa Pandit, 22, of Alochibagh Srinagar - in SKIMS ICU. She had returned from Rajasthan recently and had developed some respiratory problems and was admitted in SKIMS. Her samples have also been sent to Delhi for testing,? they said.
A doctor associated with ICU, wishing not to be named, said, ?She (Muskan) should have been kept in the isolation ward. Unfortunately, she was admitted in ICU, where we have patients having brain tumors and open heart surgeries. This could create major health problems for the patients treated for serious complicacies in the hospital?.
?We have many isolation wards in the hospital but the administration doesn?t utilize them. Patients, who have been kept in ICU, may already have got infected as the deceased girl was kept in the ward,? an official at SKIMS said
He said the hospital administration has now sounded alert and directed the entire staff to wear masks.
State?s nodal officer for Swine-flu, Dr Shafakat Khan told Rising Kashmir that the SKIMS administration did not inform them about the positive H1N1 influenza report of the victim (Muskan). ?We only knew that there was a Swine-flu suspect in hospital?s ICU,? he said.
Terming the death of Muskan as unfortunate, Khan said the influenza has shown a surge after the onset of winter across the world. ?According to the recent survey of World Health Organization, Swine-flu cases have shown a tremendous increase over the past one month. In New Delhi, the death toll has touched 452,? Khan said.
However, Director SKIMS, Dr Hamid Zargar said the patient (Muskan) did not die of Swine-flu. ?There is no reality in the reports that the patient died of Swine-flu,? Zargar said.
He, however, did not explain the cause of death.
Nodal officer for Swine-flu, Dr Shafakat said 325 samples were sent for testing from the State to NICD, Delhi. ?Of the 325 cases, 75 including 27 from Kashmir tested positive. All 75 cases were diagnosed accordingly and the patients have shown a significant improvement.?
He said Swine Flu poses more threat in winters as a normal person usually develops common cold and cough during winters. ?In that situation, he or she could easily fall prey to H1N1. The best way to deal with the problem initially is to isolate the patient. Home isolation is the best treatment at the initial phase. For more information, a toll-free number, 1075 can be contacted,? added Shafakat.
Disease kills Ganderbal girl at SKIMS; Director denies
Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Dec 12: The deadly H1N1 influenza has claimed its first victim in Kashmir. A 21-year old girl, Muskan of Tulmulla, Ganderbal died of the virus in Intensive Care Unit of SKIMS few days back. However, Director of the Institute has denied that the girl died of Swine Flu.
A senior doctor of SKIMS while confirming the death of Muskan told Rising Kashmir the patient was being treated for respiratory problems. "We had suspected her for H1N1 influenza and took the blood and saliva samples for testing. Her samples were sent to Sanatnagar testing lab, wherefrom they were forwarded to National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi,? he said.
He said the patient was admitted in the hospital on December 1 and kept in ICU for five days. ?She expired on December 6. Four days later, we received report from Delhi, which revealed that the patient had tested positive for H1N1 influenza,? the doctor said.
The hospital authorities did not make Muskan?s case public. ?Such cases have to be kept confidential as they create panic among masses,? the doctor said.
Sources in the hospital administration disclosed that after the death of Muskan, the ICU ward was not even inspected properly let alone cleaning it. ?There was another swine-flu suspect - Shafiqa Pandit, 22, of Alochibagh Srinagar - in SKIMS ICU. She had returned from Rajasthan recently and had developed some respiratory problems and was admitted in SKIMS. Her samples have also been sent to Delhi for testing,? they said.
A doctor associated with ICU, wishing not to be named, said, ?She (Muskan) should have been kept in the isolation ward. Unfortunately, she was admitted in ICU, where we have patients having brain tumors and open heart surgeries. This could create major health problems for the patients treated for serious complicacies in the hospital?.
?We have many isolation wards in the hospital but the administration doesn?t utilize them. Patients, who have been kept in ICU, may already have got infected as the deceased girl was kept in the ward,? an official at SKIMS said
He said the hospital administration has now sounded alert and directed the entire staff to wear masks.
State?s nodal officer for Swine-flu, Dr Shafakat Khan told Rising Kashmir that the SKIMS administration did not inform them about the positive H1N1 influenza report of the victim (Muskan). ?We only knew that there was a Swine-flu suspect in hospital?s ICU,? he said.
Terming the death of Muskan as unfortunate, Khan said the influenza has shown a surge after the onset of winter across the world. ?According to the recent survey of World Health Organization, Swine-flu cases have shown a tremendous increase over the past one month. In New Delhi, the death toll has touched 452,? Khan said.
However, Director SKIMS, Dr Hamid Zargar said the patient (Muskan) did not die of Swine-flu. ?There is no reality in the reports that the patient died of Swine-flu,? Zargar said.
He, however, did not explain the cause of death.
Nodal officer for Swine-flu, Dr Shafakat said 325 samples were sent for testing from the State to NICD, Delhi. ?Of the 325 cases, 75 including 27 from Kashmir tested positive. All 75 cases were diagnosed accordingly and the patients have shown a significant improvement.?
He said Swine Flu poses more threat in winters as a normal person usually develops common cold and cough during winters. ?In that situation, he or she could easily fall prey to H1N1. The best way to deal with the problem initially is to isolate the patient. Home isolation is the best treatment at the initial phase. For more information, a toll-free number, 1075 can be contacted,? added Shafakat.
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