Even as swine flu has reared its head again, claiming two lives in the last 24 hours, district health officials, hospital administrators and even chemists are asserting that they are well equipped to deal with the situation.
At Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) run Naidu Hospital, about 60 beds have been kept aside for H1N1 patients in isolation wards. However, the hospital cannot admit serious patients as it doesn’t have ventilator facilities, confirmed PMC medical officer Dr Shyam Satpute.
Besides isolation and ICU beds at Sassoon General Hospital, health authorities are also relying on private hospitals to take care of H1N1 patients. Most private hospitals confirmed that isolation wards at hospitals were ready to accommodate swine flu patients.
Rekha Dubey, CEO, Aditya Birla Hospital said the isolation ward for H1N1 patients that had been readied during the pandemic three years ago, is available to accommodate patients.
Manisha Bobade, medical superintendent, Jehangir Hospital said though isolation beds hadn’t been used for H1N1 patients for a long time due to lack of cases, they were ready to accommodate H1N1 patients.
Vijay Changediya, secretary of Chemists Association of Pune district, said adequate stocks of anti-flu medicines were available.
“The stock isn’t very much as they weren’t cases for a long time but it is adequate to tide over for a few days. And supply is easily available,’’ he added.
