Swine flu back in the city, 53 test positive

A city hospital has confirmed four swine flu-related deaths since January this year, with three of the four deaths recorded in April.

In all, 53 people have tested positive for the H1N1 virus across Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) till 5 May this year, according to data of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, but both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led Delhi government and the Centre have denied any swine flu related deaths in the capital.

The “cause of death” reports of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGR) have confirmed four swine flu related (H1N1) deaths in the hospital since January this year, with three of the four deaths recorded in April. These are the first swine flu deaths reported from Delhi, but the Delhi government and Centre have denied any such deaths in the capital.

“The hospital has registered a total of 18 swine flu positive cases since January this year, out which four people have died. This year’s first swine flu death in the hospital was recorded in February and the three other patients who succumbed to the flu died in April,” a doctor at SGR hospital claimed.

However, the doctor at SGR hospital added: “Three of the four who died had co-morbid conditions, and only one person from Delhi, a 35-year-old man, was with no co-morbid conditions, but died due to the H1N1 virus.”

Delhi and NCR had 53 swine flu cases till 5 May this year, according to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, but the ministry has denied that there were any deaths in Delhi this year.

Among Delhi’s government hospitals, Ram Manohar Lohia has had five cases, Safdarjung hospital recorded one case this year, but there have been no deaths in these hospitals. AAP leader and Delhi government’s spokesperson Nagendra Sharma said: “We have not registered any reports of swine flu related deaths in the capital. Also, the Central government has not confirmed any death in Delhi due to swine flu.”

A total of 8,648 cases of swine flu and 345 deaths have been reported from across the country since January this year, according to data of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The worst affected state has been Maharashtra, with 933 cases and 181 deaths, the ministry has confirmed.

Caused by a virus, H1N1 is a human respiratory flu, commonly known as swine flu, and was declared a pandemic in 2009 by the World Health Organisation. Since then, India and other South Asian countries have been suffering from it, mostly in winter. “This year, the number of swine flu cases has surged even during summer, which is a cause for worry,” another doctor at SGR hospital said. H1N1 has all the signs of conventional flu but it also causes respiratory illness and pneumonia.