1st swine flu death reported as preparedness sounds hollow

The first swine flu death officially confirmed Monday and refusal of designated hospitals to do initial diagnosis caused a wave of panic among people with cold and fever and left them in confusion over where to go, patients and relatives said.
A 35-year woman died at the city’s private hospital, LabAid Sunday night and the government confirmed it as the first swine flu death since the country’s first H1N1 virus infection was detected on June 18.
‘A swine flu positive patient died last (Sunday) night at LabAid hospital,’ Professor Mahmudur Rahman, director of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told New Age on Monday.
The victim, Mitali Chakravarty, 35, died at LabAid Hospital around 10.30pm on Sunday night.
Mitali was admitted to Savar’s Enam Medical College Hospital on August 16 with suspected dengue and was transferred to LabAid hospital in Dhanmondi when her symptoms matched with H1N1 virus infection.
Relatives of the victim instantly told the media Sunday night that she died of swine flu, but hospital authorities kept mum while the government authorities waited until the next day to speak out.
‘Subsequent tests at IEDCR confirmed that she had contracted H1N1 virus,’ said the IEDCR director, who has been telling the media almost everyday about the government’s preparedness to combat the disease.
The lack of preparedness of the designated city hospitals surfaced as suspected swine flu patients were seen shuttling between hospitals in frustration and panic as they were denied tests for H1N1 and referred to IEDCR.
The lone government institute was grappling with the rush of patients queuing for hours.
The first victim Mitali was not among the swine flu patients detected so far, with IEDCR authorities keeping the patients’ locations secret but claiming that all of them were recovering or fully cured meanwhile.
The institute diagnosed 14 new cases on Monday taking the number to 213 until the evening. Three infected patients were admitted to hospitals in critical condition.
IEDCR sources suspect some swine flu patients might remain beyond their knowledge and surveillance.
After the highest single day detection of 31 cases on Saturday, the health authorities announced that 13 hospitals in Dhaka had been geared towards treating swine flu patients and physicians at general hospitals in all districts had been trained to diagnose and treat the H1N1 virus carriers, if found any.
But most of the designated hospitals were found ill-equipped to tackle the patients. Some have beds readied, but are not admitting any patient or not even doing the initial diagnosis, patients and relatives complained.
Some public and private hospitals were found turning away the patients even if they were in critical condition.
Yet, health minister AFM Ruhal Huq advised the people to go to hospitals for check if they suffer from high fever with respiratory problems.
Physicians of a private clinic in Mirpur referred Iva, 20, a suspected swine flu patient, to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for treatment. ‘We took her to the BSMMU hospital Monday morning but the security turned us away saying that there was no arrangement to receive swine flu patients’, her relative Sabuj told New Age at the BSMMU hospital.
She was suffering from fever and respiratory problems, he said.
Failing to find out the swine flu ward at the BSMMU Hospital, they took her to Shaheed Suhrawardi Hospital, but the hospital authorities suggested them to take her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The ‘flu ward’ of Dhaka Medical College Hospital turned Iva away saying that it only receives H1N1 ‘confirmed’ patients, he said.
The family took her to IEDCR for H1N1 test. ‘We have taken her to a Mirpur clinic again after the test. The IEDCR said that it will inform us about the report over telephone tomorrow (Tuesday),’ Sabuj said.
BSMMU vice-chancellor Professor Pran Gopal Datta and hospital superintendent M Abdul Majid Bhuiyan claimed Monday that the hospital was ‘fully’ ready to treat suspected swine flu patients at level 11 at the D-block of the hospital.
‘We have trained 15 doctors and physicians at all outdoors were asked to inform me if there is any swine flue patient,’ he said.
The level 11 at the D-block of the hospital was not found ready to receive patient as there was no bed, physicians and staff until 1:00pm Monday. Cleaners were only removing the dusts at a section of the level 11.
The Dhaka Medical College Hospital authorities set up a 10-bed flu ward although no patient was admitted there.
It was learnt that some eight potential swine flu patients went to the DMCH for treatment, but the authorities concerned asked them to go the IEDCR for tests, source said.
‘We received some patients at the outdoor,’ a physician at the flu ward said. ‘But the ward is empty.’
When asked about the allegation that the hospital was turning away the patients, DMCH director Bazle Rashid told New Age, ‘I’ll not contest the allegation. Write whatever the patients have said.’
He reportedly misbehaved with the reporter and camera crew of a television channel in his office as they questioned about the treatment of swine flu at the hospital.
Some private hospitals were making contradictory statements about providing treatment to patients with swine flu-like symptoms.
Dr Mirja Nazimuddin, a consultant of Square Hospital, claimed they did not receive patients as it was not a government-designated hospital for swine flu treatment.
However, a confirmed swine flu patient was undergoing treatment at the hospital, he said. ‘The patient, who was admitted to the hospital on August 24, is undergoing treatment in a separate intensive care unit,’ he said.
LabAid Hospital authorities claimed they were not admitting swine flu patients although Mitali, a confirmed patient, died there Sunday night.
Health minister AFM Ruhal Haq on Monday advised people not to be panicked about the spread of swine flu, reports BDnews24.com.
‘There is nothing to panic if one contracts the virus. We have sufficient stock of vaccine, Oseltamivir capsule,’ the minister told reporters at the secretariat. ‘Many companies in our country are manufacturing the medicine.’

Courtesy of NewAgebd