Four swine flu deaths in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH - Four people, including three women, succumbed to swine flu in Chandigarh, taking the toll in this Union Territory to 41, officials said here Thursday.

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) reported the deaths.

The three women who succumbed to the viral disease included 17-year-old Priya from Punjab, Rani, 38, belonging to Himachal Pradesh and 22-year-old Manju from Pinjore in Haryana.

Twenty eight-year-old Shiv Kant from Panchkula in Haryana was the fourth victim of the killer disease.

“These deaths were reported late Wednesday evening. We have informed the respective states’ health officials concerned to quarantine those people who were in direct contact with these patients,” said H.C. Gera, Chandigarh nodal officer for swine flu, Thursday.

He added: “Six more people tested positive for swine flu. These include two from Chandigarh, three from Haryana and one from Himachal Pradesh. Our health department has enough stocks of medicines and we are ready to handle any kind of emergency situation.”

So far, over 700 suspected cases of swine flu have been screened in Chandigarh hospitals, out of which nearly 300 tested positive.

Official sources in UT health department, who had written to the union health ministry for additional stocks of antiviral drugs, said they had got the approval and will receive the medicines soon.