Pakistan - #Punjab - Swine flu

The dark shadow of swine flu is hovering across Punjab as the disease has started taking its toll on citizens. So far the death toll has swelled to 13 while a total of 54 cases have been detected from all over Punjab. The number of patients affected by the disease has reached 14 in Lahore. Overall, five deaths have been reported in Rawalpindi, four in Multan while one person each died in the cities of Lahore, Chakwal, Gujranwala and Sahiwal. Swine flu, also known as H1N1 in medical terms, is a disease that spreads through contact with a sufferer, while shaking hands, aerially, or using a utensil that had earlier been in contact with a patient of the disease.

The grim situation is worsening in different cities of Punjab due to the lack of virology laboratories and delayed diagnosis. While the government officials and the Punjab health department are claiming that adequate arrangements have been put in place to tackle the menace, the reality looks bleak, with the number of swine flu cases increasing. There are clear indications that delayed diagnosis resulted in fatalities that could have been avoided. The overwhelming majority of those who get swine flu are those who never bother about visiting a doctor after catching the virus. Symptoms of H1N1 are just like any other flu symptoms: sudden fever and cough, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat, decreased appetite, and runny nose. Sometimes there is nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea also.

In order to contain deaths due to this disease, the government needs to take preventive measures. A countrywide awareness campaign needs to be launched on an immediate basis that could educate the masses about the symptoms of the disease and inform them about curative measures. As most cases are being reported from Punjab due to the winter spell, the provincial government needs to take all necessary measures to protect citizens from this deadly disease. There is a need to put all hospitals on high alert to tackle the situation. The government needs to arrange vaccines and other necessary medicines and diagnosis facilities at public hospitals for early detection and treatment of the disease. Preventive measures also need to be put in place to stop the spread of the disease. Due to the world becoming a global village, citizens are catching diseases that break out in faraway lands. There is a need to enforce an international health regime to check the spread of diseases like swine flu.