Swine flu kills 208 in Gujarat this year, over 900 hospitalised

Ahmedabad: Swine flu has killed 208 people in Gujarat since January this year and 994 patients infected with H1N1 virus are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals, the state government today said.

In a statement issued here, Gujarat Health Minister Shankar Chaudhary said the administration is taking necessary steps to curb the spread of swine flu, with the help of over 5,000 doctors.

As per the release, 1,883 people across the state were found to be infected with H1N1 between January 1 and August 15 this year.

"While only 256 cases were reported in the first six months, the virus raised its head only after July, when 322 cases were reported. This month alone, 1,305 people were found to be infected with the virus," the release said.

"Of these, 994 people are still under treatment, while 208 have succumbed to the disease," the release said adding that 681 patients were discharged after treatment.

In order to control the spread of H1N1 virus, a dedicated team of 17,000 health workers, including 5,000 MBBS doctors, have been deployed across the state to identify patients and to provide necessary guidance and treatment, it said.

These health workers have already completed the task of identifying swine flu positive cases through door-to-door survey, covering over four crore citizens, the release said.

The minister also expressed confidence that in the coming days, the number of swine flu cases would gradually come down due to the government's "quick response".