PESHAWAR: There is a fear of swine flu outbreak in the province, as a suspected swine flu patient has fled from Hayatabad Medical Complex.
Hospital sources told Daily Times on Sunday that Haji Aamir, a resident of Mardan district, fled from the hospital along with his family members in the wee hours of Saturday. He was under observation for swine flu. The NWFP government’s health monitoring cell at Peshawar Airport had referred Haji Aamir, 38, to Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) after showing symptoms of swine flu on return from Haj. He was kept in an isolation ward.
The hospital sources said that the doctors had also sent his blood samples to the National Institute of Health Islamabad. Health Department Executive District Officer (EDO) and in charge of monitoring cell at the airport Dr Abdul Waheed Burki said that the HMC administration was responsible for the escape of the suspected swine flu patient. HMC Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Adil Marjan said that the family members of the suspected swine flu patient had taken him by force. He said the security staff resisted their attempt but of no avail. In the past two months at least six cases of swine flu have been detected in the provincial capital, doctors said. According to Aftab Durrani, HMC Medical Superintendent, the total number of H1N1 cases in NWFP has risen to six, including three staffers of the HMC. On November 7, an Afghan woman Latifa Bibi, 40, from Herat province of Afghanistan had died due to the virus, while one more Afghan patient of swine flu patient is under treatment at the hospital.
Doctors said there were no vaccines available at any of the major hospitals across the province. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is a new influenza virus that was never circulated among humans before. After outbreak in North America early in 2009, the virus spread rapidly around the world. Pandemic influenza is transmitted like seasonal influenza but people have virtually no immunity to it.
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