Two more die of swine flu, season count rises to 11

Two patients succumbed to H1N1 virus-related complications on Tuesday, taking the swine flu toll to 11 patients since January 1. Also, the tally of diagnosed patients crossed the 500 mark.

A 45-year-old woman at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and a 36-year-old patient at Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar succumbed to the illness, reportedly from respiratory complications. Both patients were admitted in the ICU and were on ventilator support. An official said the respiratory problems led to compromised lung function.

“The swine flu virus is known to cause respiratory distress if diagnosed late or in patients suffering from other problems like asthma, diabetes or cardiovascular problems. Once it affects the lungs, patients are unable to breathe on their own,” he said.

Another 53 patients tested positive for the H1N1 virus on Tuesday, after sporadic rainfall over the weekend. A total of 510 patients been diagnosed with the virus since January 1. Compared to this, in 2011 and 2012, 22 and 78 patients, respectively, had tested positive for the virus in the entire year.

Health department officials said the intermittent rainfall over the past two months had led to the rise in swine flu cases.

With more rainfall expected over the coming weekend, officials said the conditions are still conducive for the spread of the virus. “High humidity levels and low temperatures create an environment where the virus can grow and spread. People should wash their hands properly and frequently, and carry a handkerchief as a precautionary measure,” Health minister Dr A K Walia said.

The Health department said there is no need for vaccination against the virus, barring the high-risk people.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/two-more-die-of-swine-flu-season-count-rises-to-11/1076664/0

60 test positive for swine flu, total crosses the 400-mark

Another 60 patients tested positive for swine flu on Sunday, taking the total number of diagnosed patients this year to 420.

Health department officials said the continuing cold weather and the intermittent rainfall are responsible for the surge in cases this year. “We had a few days of relief over the past two weeks, but the rainfall on Friday and Saturday brought down the temperatures again. Humidity levels are still high,” an official said.

These conditions, according to experts, are conducive to the growth and spread of the H1N1 virus, which causes swine flu. When the temperatures go up, doctors hope the H1N1 cases are come down.

With the number of diagnosed patients crossing the 400 mark, and nine confirmed deaths reported since January 1, Health Minister Dr A K Walia has held two meetings to review the swine flu management system in Delhi government hospitals. Doctors and scientists from the Central government and National Centre for Disease Control have attended these meetings.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/60-test-positive-for-swine-flu-total-crosses-the-400mark/1075747/

Fourth H1N1 victim in city: 15-yr-old dies at Ganga Ram

Another suspected swine flu-related death reported from RML, Walia calls meeting.

A 15-year-old girl who was diagnosed with swine flu died on Monday, taking the death toll due to the H1N1 virus to four in the national capital. This is the fourth confirmed death due to the virus since January 1. Another death, reported from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Tuesday, is also suspected to be caused due to complications arising from H1N1.

The girl, who is the first minor to succumb to the illness this season, was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on February 3. Hospital authorities said the girl died of acute respiratory distress syndrome — a severe respiratory disorder commonly associated with the virus. The girl was on ventilator support and doctors said they had tried to contain her symptoms for over a week.

The Delhi government said the situation is being monitored closely and virologists had identified three strains of seasonal flu including H1N1, H3N2 and Influenza B. The Union Health ministry, meanwhile, said there is no pressing need for vaccinations. Delhi Health Minister Dr A K Walia said virologists had identified the specific strains of the disease in the capital and confirmed that H1N1 was the most prevalent.

“Laboratory analysis found three strains of the seasonal flu, of which H1N1 or swine flu was the most common, but two other strains of common virals were also present,” Walia said. To take stock of the situation, Walia chaired a high-level meeting of medical superintendents of all government and private hospitals. The meeting was also attended by officials from National Center for Disease Control and Dr P Ravindran, Director of Emergency Medical Relief (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare).

“The government is monitoring the situation closely, including preparedness, availability of beds and medicine in isolation wards, ICUs and diagnostic facilities. We have identified 17 government and five private hospitals for treatment and three government and five private diagnostic laboratories to manage cases,” Walia said.

Ravindran said there was no need for vaccinations against H1N1 at present. “No prophylactic treatment is required in most of the cases in the existing situation. Only high-risk cases, such as people above 65 years of age with multiple diseases, need prophylactic treatment,” he said.

He added that even hospitalisation was unnecessary for patients exhibiting symptoms of influenza, but that such patients need to be watched closely and require regular follow-ups. Meanwhile, Sanjeev Choubey (42), who was admitted at RML Hospital on February 9, died on Tuesday due to what officials suspect could be H1N1-related complications. Choubey, a resident of Khoda Colony, was referred to RML by a private hospital in Noida. He was kept in an isolation ward with eight other patients.

According to the Health department, 33 new cases of H1N1 were reported on Tuesday, taking the total to 154 since January 1 this year. Officials hope that with the rise in temperature and lowering of humidity, the number of cases in Delhi would decline.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fourth-h1n1-victim-in-city-15yrold-dies-at-ganga-ram/1073293/0

Swine flu cases cross 100-mark, Health dept calls review meeting

The Health department has called a meeting to review the measures in place to counter the steadily increasing cases of swine flu. The meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday.

Health Minister Dr A K Walia said epidemiologists from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), representatives of laboratories authorised to conduct the tests and nodal officers designated for swine flu from hospitals will attend the meeting.

On Monday, number of H1N1 cases in city crossed the 100 mark.

Sources confirmed that the Health department was considering purchasing preventive vaccines for high-risk patients and starting prophylactic treatment for doctors and nurses managing swine flu patients. A final decision on this will be taken in the meeting.

“This year, so far, we have not purchased any new vaccines for H1N1 or authorised prophylactic treatment of our hospital staff. In 2009 and 2010, we had to take both of the preventive measures. Now that the cases are rising this year, we are considering repeating these efforts,” an official from the Health department said.

Pregnant women, children, the elderly and those diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are considered to be in the high-risk category, doctors said. People with a history of respiratory diseases are also understood to be at risk of the viral disease.

Dr Walia said: “We have called scientists from NCDC to dwell on the epidemiological reasons for the continued presence of the virus and how long it is expected to last. We will take a final call on purchasing vaccines and review the treatment facilities.”

Last week, the government had issued an advisory to hospitals, instructing them to open their isolation wards and ensure availability of adequate ventilators. The dedicated isolation wards and special ICU facilities had been closed, considering the lull in cases over the past two years.

Twenty-seven new H1N1 cases were reported on Monday — nine from Safdarjung Hospital — taking the total tally of diagnosed cases to 121, since January 1. In 2011 and 2012, only four swine flu cases each had been confirmed over January and February.

The Delhi government has confirmed three deaths from the virus, though individual hospitals have reported more suspected deaths.

Seventeen government and five private hospitals have been designated to provide treatment for swine flu. Eight labs — five private and three government hospitals — have been authorised to perform the diagnostic tests for samples.

The government labs are at AIIMS, NCDC and Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/swine-flu-cases-cross-100mark-health-dept-calls-review-meeting/1072784/0

Three deaths in a month, hospitals on swine flu alert

With 60 patients testing positive for the H1N1 virus since January 1, against a total of four cases reported during the same period last year, the Health department on Thursday called an emergency meeting.

The department has instructed all government hospitals to immediately open isolation wards and keep dedicated ICU beds with ventilator facilities.

Commonly known as swine flu, the symptoms of H1N1 infection are similar to common influenza. But if diagnosed late, can lead to respiratory complications.

Three deaths have been confirmed due to the virus this year. The diagnostic results of two other patients, who are suspected to have died of H1N1-related complications, is awaited.

Health Minister Dr A K Walia said, “We have designated 17 government hospitals and five private hospitals to provide treatment for swine flu. Eight labs, five private and three government hospitals — AIIMS, National Centre for Disease Control and Vallab Bhai Patel Chest Institute — , have been authorised to perform the diagnostic tests for swine flu samples.”

This was the third advisory on swine flue this year — two notices were sent in January.

According to Delhi government hospitals, patients had tested positive for the virus from across the city.

Government officials said of the three confirmed deaths, two were from RML Hospital and one at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. All three deaths were from acute respiratory distress syndrome, a common complication associated with swine flu, the minister said.

Dr Walia said since its was a seasonal virus, the intermittent rains over the past two months could have had a role in the rise in cases.

A total of 328 cases and 14 deaths were reported in the first two months of 2010, the highest in five years. In 2011 and 2012, only four cases were reported, with no deaths, in January-February.

The hospitals have been asked to ensure availability of Tamiflu, the drug used to treat the virus. Sources in Delhi government hospitals said no new stocks of the drug had been purchased this year and the drugs purchased last year were being used.

Over the years

Year    positive cases    deaths

2009    7,088     81

2010    1,850     56

2011    22     2

2012    78     1

2013    60     3

Authorised pvt hospitals for treatment

n Action Balaji

n Apollo

n Moolchand

n Sir Ganga Ram

n St Stephen’s

Government hospitals

n Lok Nayak

n Guru Teg Bahadur

n Deen Dayal Upadhyay

n Hindu Rao

n Safdarjung

n Ram Manohar Lohia

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/three-deaths-in-a-month-hospitals-on-swine-flu-alert/1071210/0

Cancer is like a yorker, you have to hit it for a six: Yuvraj Singh

`“I didn’t believe when I was first told that I have cancer. I thought how can a young person like me get cancer? I thought it could never happen to me. It took me a while to accept that I was diagnosed with cancer.”

This was India team’s stylish left-handed cricketer Yuvraj Singh talking about “survivorship” on the World Cancer Day.

On Monday, it was not about cricket. As Yuvraj told the gathering of cancer survivors: “Today is about survivorship.”

Yuvraj wiped the constantly welling tears as he watched a video showing him taking multiple injections and undergoing chemotherapy at a hospital in Indianapolis where he had battled the stage-1 cancerous tumour in his left lung. “I always cry. It is my mother who remained strong but I became a crybaby. I felt that life might come to an end,” he said.

But, the event was not about self pity and Yuvraj cracked jokes.

He described how he had a craving for kadhi chawal and one of his friends drove 11 hours to bring him the dish. But his weakened body was unable to keep the food down.

For the survivors at the event — those undergoing treatment and those in remission — Yuvraj’s presence brought hope and reassurance.

“When I went into remission four years ago, there was some stigma from my friends. But ever since Yuvraj went public with his cancer, there was more understanding,” said 18-year-old Chandan Kumar. “He may not have been around when we were recovering from cancer, but when someone as important as him is associated with our cause, we get positive reactions from people who wouldn’t care about the disease earlier,” he said.

For Pranav Arora (15), Yuvraj was the key motivation. “When I started undergoing chemotherapy, I was very worried. One day, my doctor asked me to speak to someone on the phone. It was Yuvraj on the other end. Yuvraj told me that the cancer was like a yorker ball, and I had to hit it for a six. He said it was going to be hard but not impossible,” he said.

And while Yuvraj’s words gave him hope, it wasn’t a one-time exchange. “When I was undergoing my third cycle of chemotherapy, which is the hardest phase, he (Yuvraj) sent me an email,” Pranav said.

“We don’t know each other, but we share common ground and so, despite never having met, I still know you. I know that you are a brave boy, fighting cancer and fighting it hard. There will be days the cancer will overwhelm you. But remember, it will never beat you,” Yuvraj had written.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cancer-is-like-a-yorker-you-have-to-hit-it-for-a-six-yuvraj-singh/1069480/0

Government Approved various Certification courses for Shahra Trust

Shri Mahadeo Shahra Sukrat Trust is a Public Charitable Trust duly registered by Registrar of Public Charitable Trust, Indore, and was formed in 1976 specially to initiate the corporate social responsibility initiatives of Ruchi.

Government of India has approved various certificate courses like “Beauty Culture and Health Care” and ”Fabric Painting and Warli Painting” which was conducted by Shahra Trust. The Trust initially undertook relief work for the underprivileged in the areas of health, education and other sectors at Manglia, Indore, Madhya Pradesh where the largest and first production plant of Ruchi is situated. Dinesh Shahra and Ankesh Shahra are part of Shahra Trust.