50 die of swine flu in Punjab, Haryana

Chandigarh, Feb 20 (IANS) At least 50 people have died due to swine flu in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh in recent days, health officials said here Friday.

In Punjab, 27 people have died so far while over 80 confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported from the state.

Three deaths have been reported from Chandigarh.

In Haryana, 20 casualties have been reported, additional chief secretary, Health, Ram Niwas said Friday.

"(In all) 121 positive cases of swine flu and 20 casualties have so far been reported in the state. As many as four patients are on ventilator, chemo-prophylaxis has been given to 459 contacts and 27 cases are still in hospital," he said.

"The Haryana health department has made adequate arrangements for the treatment of patients suffering from swine flu. Adequate stocks of Tamiflu and PPE kits have been made available. Ventilator facility has been provided and isolation wards have been set up in all hospitals of the state," Niwas said.

Health officials in both states said that monitoring of people suspected to have symptoms of swine flu was being done and confirmed cases were being treated in isolation wards of hospitals.

They said that adequate stocks of medicines were available and people were being made aware about the spread of the disease.