Swine flu toll in Gujarat reaches 220

The number of deaths due to Swine Flu in Gujarat reached 220 this year, with 12 more deaths and 212 new cases recorded on Wednesday. With this, the total number of H1N1 infection cases this year has touched 2095, with 1129 cases under treatment and 746 cured so far.

Among the worst affected include Ahmedabad city, which has seen deaths of over 91 persons, followed by Vadodara with 32 deaths. Surat and Gandhinagar, on the other hand, has seen deaths of 15 patients and nine patients each. Ahmedabad district has recorded seven deaths so far this season.

Though the state government claims to have initiated several steps to curb the menace, the number of those affected by the H1N1 virus has been rising steadily. 

"The state government has made the mandatory test costing Rs 5000 free for all the citizens," Shankar Chaudhary, minister of state, health, Gujarat, said. He claimed that over 31,000 persons have been made safe against the disease and almost four crores of the 6.5 crore



people in the state have been surveyed by health officials. "More than 5000 medical practitioners and 17,000 health workers are working to help curb the menace and we are sure that by next week, the toll would begin to fall," he said.

Over 900 persons of 9500 persons affected have lost their lives to this deadly virus since 2012, with the year 2015 being recorded as the worst year. Over 350 citizens had lost their lives in Gujarat during that year, with Ahmedabad city witnessing deaths of over 100 citizens in 2015 to this swine flu influenza virus. Endemic in pigs, the first strains of this virus were initially seen in Mexico during the year 2008.

The minister's statement comes on the day Gujarat High Court has sought a report from the state government on the steps it has initiated to curb rising cases of swine flu. The court sought the report in a petition filed against "ineffective" handling of the situation by the state. The court has assigned August 21 as next date of hearing in the case.