Gujarat swine flu update: HC condemns private hospitals turning away patients

Angered at a recent media report that private hospitals were denying treatment to swine flu patients, the Gujarat High Court asked the government to figure out which private hospitals were denying swine flu patients and what action could be taken against such hospitals. The High Court also asked the government to give details about its plans to contain the disease and its outbreak. The notice came to the court in a bizarre manner. The High Court had actually received half a dozen applications from prisons by prisoners seeking temporary bail to so they could manage the treatment of their family members!

A report was also submitted to the court by the government stated that 63% swine flu cases were in urban areas. The report also said that committee has been formed to take measures to contain the spread of the disease, and preventive measures are being taken by the state. Justice Dave also expressed dissatisfaction over the report and made some observations that the government hadn t taken enough action against to check the death toll that is increasing day by day. So far this year, 127 people have died of swine flu in Gujarat.

What is the swine flu virus?

Swine flu is caused due to a zoonotic disease which originally was transmitted from pigs to humans and now spreads from one human to another. The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to regular influenza and include fever, headaches, chills, diarrhoea, coughing and sneezing. One can prevent infection by maintaining basic hygiene and wearing a proper surgical mask during flu season. The number of cases shoots up during the summers and monsoon seasons. There are various vaccines available to combat the disease and antiviral treatments for prevention as well. One should however only use these medicines under a doctor s supervision as indiscriminate use might result in susceptibility to the virus.

Read: Why the swine flu situation in India is bad

Prevention

Swine flu isn t a disease that you can catch from pigs. It is in fact, a human virus that spreads from one human to another. The virus is extremely contagious. Here are some swine flu prevention tips:

• It can spread through coughing and sneezing so always cover your face while doing so. And make sure people around you in office or home also follow this.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth too often
• Maintain a high level of personal hygiene. Always wash your hands before or after eating and particularly after returning from a public place.
• Sometimes virus can spread through droplets that have remained on surfaces of things like laptops, phones so avoid using someone else s items.
• Avoid public places, unhygienic conditions, etc.
• If your city/area is swine-flu endemic, always wear a standard swine flu mask in public places (the H-95 mask which is worn by nurses and doctors while collecting samples from swine flu victims). Normal surgical masks which sell like hot cakes during swine flu season might not give enough protection.
• If you feel sick and look like you are developing a cold or fever, stay at home and take enough rest. Rest has also been shown to increase interferons which help our immunity to fight the virus better. Keeping away from others also prevents spread of the infection.

Also read: Swine flu: All you need to know

Don t know the symptoms of swine flu? Check out our symptom search to know more about the H1N1 symptoms