Swine flu cases are expected to increase in Maharashtra and fatalities are on the rise. The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC’s) Health Department is set to issue a circular to all general practitioners and private doctors in the city to assist them in early detection and treatment of swine flu. There seems to be no uniformity among general practitioners regarding the treatment of swine flu as the symptoms are very similar to seasonal flu. The advisory will help in standardizing treatment and fighting the disease, said officials.

From January 2019 to March 16, 2019, around 2,13,817 patients have been screened for swine flu and 2,840 have been administered Tamiflu. About 538 swabs were sent for investigation and 90 of these have been diagnosed as swine flu. Currently, 25 patients suffering from swine flu are being treated in various hospitals. Of these, 13 are on ventilator support and 12 are admitted in wards. As many as 42 patients have recovered from the disease and have been discharged, according to the PMC report.

The guidelines, prepared by the Public Health Department, will be circulated by the officials. Details about the dosage and category of high risk patients when they have to be admitted have been included in the circular. Guidelines to prevent the spread of the disease have also been included in the circular.

Dr Sanjeev Wavare, Assistant Health Chief, PMC, said that they have included the symptoms that patients will show when they have just got infected with swine flu. The three different categories - A, B and C - have been described in the circular and this will help the doctors in identifying the disease early, screening, diagnosis and treating the patients.

Wavare added that all physicians have the expertise and skills to identify the symptoms and treat the patients. However, there is no uniformity in the approach and this could lead to delay in treatment.

Dr Abhijit Lodha, consultant physician, Ruby Hall Clinic, said that PMC is helping doctors contain the disease but there are some changes in the screening rules that PMC has to introduce. Doctors treating patients in outdoor patients departments are not allowed to send in their throat swabs. The local body must allow doctors to send throat swabs of outdoor patients too, he added.