50 pc of swine flu deaths due to co-morbid conditions

50 pc of swine flu deaths due to co-morbid conditions
x
Highlights

Around 50 per cent of the 34 suspected swine flu deaths in the State were due to co-morbid conditions and not due to swine flu, according to findings of the Audit Committee deputed by the Union Ministry of Health to the State.

Hyderabad: Around 50 per cent of the 34 suspected swine flu deaths in the State were due to co-morbid conditions and not due to swine flu, according to findings of the Audit Committee deputed by the Union Ministry of Health to the State.

According to sources, in 2016 a team of members from Union Ministry of Health had visited the State to conduct an inquiry on swine flu deaths which were reported between 2015 and 2016. The officials reportedly wanted to go through the audit details on swine flu deaths.

The State Health Department officials told them that they do not have audit details on swine flu deaths. The team members then said to the State Health officials that without conducting the audit on swine flu, it cannot be determined whether it was really death due to swine flu or not.

The central team directed the health officials to see that every hospital treating the swine flu cases should constitute a swine flu audit committee comprising of Head of the Department, Pathologist, Microbiologist and nursing superintendent.

Following this, health officials directed all government and private hospitals to form the swine flu audit committees. After death of the suspected swine flu patient, the committee meets and evaluates the history of patient’s health and based on the reports, decides whether the death was due to swine flu or due to co-morbid condition.

Explaining how the co-morbid conditions lead to the death of a patient, Dr G K Paramjyothi, Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, Nizam's Institute Of Medical Sciences (NIMS) said Diabetes, Coronary artery disease, kidney diseases, cancer disease, Cardio respiratory failure, Obesity, Hypertension, Hypothyroidism, HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Pneumonia, Alcoholic Liver disease were co-morbid conditions.

“Swine flu is a viral infection as it affects every organ in the body, but mostly lungs. Co-morbid patients have very low capacity to withstand stress full situations.

When contacted Dr Subbalakshmi, Joint Director, Epidemics, Telangana said we were following directions of Union Health ministry with regard to audit of deaths of swine flu patients.

Show Full Article
Print Article
Next Story
More Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENTS