BHOPAL: At least three swine flu and one dengue death have been reported at two hospitals in Bhopal over the past 24 hours. While two patients died of swine flu at Hamidia Hospital on Tuesday, one patient died of dengue at Bansal Hospital the same day.
This takes the death toll caused by H1N1 to six while dengue claimed two persons at hospitals in Bhopal so far this year.
According to state health department sources, a 35-year-old woman from Bhopal’s Shaheed Nagar and a 27-year-old woman from adjoining Sehore district died of swine flu during treatment at government run Hamidia Hospital.
At the private Bansal Hospital, a 21-year-old man from Piplani, Bhopal died of dengue while under treatment on Tuesday. It’s the first time this season that multiple deaths have been reported due to swine flu and dengue.
Also, of the 19 swab samples sent to lab for testing, five tested positive for the H1N1 virus while the blood samples of three of 16 suspected dengue cases have tested positive, sources added.
According to Dr KL Sahu, director of state health, the situation in MP is far better than adjoining Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, where swine flu cases and casualties are much higher this season.
As per health department statistics, a total of 758 cases of swine flu were reported in Madhya Pradesh during 2016, of which 12 succumbed. Also, 26 dengue cases were reported in the state in 2016 out of which six people died.