Sr health official pops swine flu drug as precaution

What can happen if oseltamivir, the only potent drug against swine flu, is administered injudiciously? Experts say the H1N1 virus may become resistant to the drug, causing large-scale damage.

But someone needs to explain this to Sharvari Gokhale, the additional chief secretary (health) of Maharashtra.

On Friday, Gokhale not only popped a capsule of Fluvir, a trade name of oseltamivir, but also asked this correspondent to take one as a precaution. “We should not carry the virus home. Have one capsule every day for the next 10 days,” Gokhale said, handing a strip of 10 capsules to the reporter.

But neither show any symptoms of regular flu, let alone H1N1 influenza.

This happened in the presence of several doctors, including the state health in-charge for H1N1 Dr Pradeep Awate and rapid response team member Dr RR Katti, at the Arogya Bhawan, the department’s office in the city.  Awate told DNA that oseltamivir should be prescribed to only those who have tested positive for swine flu.

 Dr Dilip Sarda, president of the Pune chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), agreed, saying: “Nobody should behave irresponsibly. This is the responsibility of every citizen of India and Tamiflu (another brand name for oseltamivir) should not be administered indiscriminately.” Infectious diseases specialist Dr Pallavi Bhargava said the injudicious use of Tamiflu can make the virus resistant to the drug.  

“In the US, Tamiflu capsules are administered only to those who have tested positive for H1N1, are really sick, require hospitalization and are at an increased risk of dying,” she said.

Dr AC Mishra, the director of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, too, advised against administering the drug to anyone who is asymptomatic.

“If this was the level of awareness of the additional chief secretary (health), imagine the situation at hospitals where anxious parents have been demanding Tamiflu for themselves and their children,” said a medical practitioner.

Seven more tested positive for swine flu in Pune on Friday, taking the count of confirmed cases in the city to 91. Among the latest cases is a three-year-old girl who returned form the US with her mother. The virus has spread to 10 schools in the city, with two cases being reported from the Nachiket High School at Panchgani.