NEW DELHI: Delhi reported 166 fresh H1N1 cases in the last 24 hours on Thursday, taking the cumulative tally to 2,612, according to Delhi government data. The national capital had reported 138 new cases a day earlier, government data revealed.
The total number of Influenza-A cases has also risen to 3,300 from 3,177 recorded on Wednesday, data showed.
Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh visited Indira Gandhi Hospital and reviewed preparedness measures to deal with the rising H1N1 and seasonal influenza cases, officials said.
During his visit, the minister took stock of the hospital’s flu management arrangements, including isolation facilities, emergency services, testing infrastructure, availability of medicines and deployment of medical staff.
A dedicated flu clinic has been made operational at the hospital, along with isolated beds for influenza patients requiring care, officials said.
The minister’s visit comes a day after he directed Delhi government hospitals to strengthen emergency services and ensure adequate availability of isolation beds, doctors, testing facilities, medicines and other essential resources.
Hospitals were asked to maintain at least five isolation beds, while larger hospitals were instructed to keep 10 or more beds for managing influenza and vector-borne disease cases. They were also told to maintain shift-wise duty rosters and ensure round-the-clock availability of medical staff.
Dr Mohit Bhardwaj, MBBS, MD (Pulmonology), Consultant, PB Health, Gurgaon, said the current H1N1 surge in Delhi was significant, but residents need not panic. “What we are seeing this year is a genuine shift; H1N1 has overtaken H3N2 as the dominant influenza strain circulating in the capital,” Bhardwaj said.
He said monsoon humidity was creating favourable conditions for viral transmission, with hospitals witnessing higher footfall at fever clinics. Symptoms can overlap with dengue, Covid-19 and the common cold, making early clinical differentiation difficult without testing, he said.