Jaipur: Six more deaths due to swine flu were reported in Rajasthan in the last 24 hours, taking the toll due to the H1N1 virus to 267, even as the state government assured that there has been no negligence in treatment by either doctors or para-medical staff at government hospitals.
In a response to a question by the Opposition Congress in the state assembly, the BJP-led state government said that there has been no negligence or carelessness by either doctors or para-medical staff at government hospitals in treatment of patients suffering from swine flu.
Meanwhile, six more?persons have succumbed to swine flu in the last 24 hours, raising the number of disease-related deaths to 267 in the state.
Out of these, 94 deaths were reported from rural parts of the state and 173 from the urban areas, Rajasthan Medical and Health Minister R S Rathore told the House while replying to a query.
Rathore announced that all government hospitals will be providing free face masks to patients who have been tested positive for H1N1 virus in order to contain the spread of the disease.
"So far, 64 patients are still on ventilators and 73 have been discharged after their recovery," Rathore said.
During the question hour, the Opposition, including Congress' chief whip Govind Singh Dotasar and Leader of Opposition R Dudi, demanded compensation for the families of people who died at private hospitals due to the disease.
The Minister skipped the query, following which Speaker Kailash Meghwal told the Opposition leaders that there has already been a debate on swine flu last week in the Assembly, therefore it cannot be allowed again.
But, despite the Speaker's ruling, the Rajasthan Assembly witnessed noisy scenes as the Congress members raised anti-government slogans.
Amid chaos, Health Minister R S Rathore said that the previous Congress government had not made any such compensation to those who died due to swine flu in 2009 and 2010, to which the Opposition members raised slogans, shouting, "No politics is allowed on swine flu".
Out of the total 267 deaths, Jaipur has recorded the maximum with the toll rising to 54, followed by Ajmer 31, Jodhpur 29, Nagaur 25, Barmer 21, Kota 13, Pali 10, Sikar 9, Chittorgarh 8, Banswara, Churu, and Bhilwara six each, Duasa, Tonk, Jhunjhunu five each, and one to four at other places in the state.
