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Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ggers-swine-flu-fears/articleshow/4875082.cms
Malaria patient's death triggers swine flu fears
Malathy Iyer, TNN 10 August 2009, 02:11am IST
MUMBAI: It seemed a repeat of Jogeshwari resident Fehmida Panwala's case when a seriously ill Vineet Gandhi died within three hours of being
rushed from Jaslok Hospital on Pedder Road to the civic-run Kasturba Infectious Diseases Hospital in Chinchpokli on Sunday afternoon.
But it is still unclear whether swine flu killed the Gowalia Tank resident, who had tested positive for malaria at Jaslok Hospital. The 32-year-old's throat swab samples were collected and sent for a diagnosis and the results are likely to come on Monday.
Panwala, a known patient of diabetes, had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and died within 12 hours of being admitted to Kasturba hospital.
According to Jaslok Hospital CEO Col Maneesh Masand, "Gandhi was admitted to our hospital on August 6 and tested positive for malaria. However, on Sunday, he developed breathlessness.'' The hospital then called in an infectious diseases expert to check on Gandhi. "He advised us to move him to Kasturba hospital immediately as it could be H1N1. Unfortunately, we heard that Gandhi passed away three hours later,'' added Masand.
Civic officials were, however, categorical that Gandhi's death was not due to swine flu. "He was a confirmed case of malaria. Every death in Kasturba hospital is not due to swine flu,'' said Dr Jairaj Thanekar, executive health officer of the BMC.
There is discrepancy as to where Gandhi was admitted. While civic officials say he was not in the H1N1 isolation ward, eyewitnesses said that they had seen his body being brought out of the ward around 4 pm. His relatives were waiting outside the ward.
Malaria patient's death triggers swine flu fears
Malathy Iyer, TNN 10 August 2009, 02:11am IST
MUMBAI: It seemed a repeat of Jogeshwari resident Fehmida Panwala's case when a seriously ill Vineet Gandhi died within three hours of being
rushed from Jaslok Hospital on Pedder Road to the civic-run Kasturba Infectious Diseases Hospital in Chinchpokli on Sunday afternoon.
But it is still unclear whether swine flu killed the Gowalia Tank resident, who had tested positive for malaria at Jaslok Hospital. The 32-year-old's throat swab samples were collected and sent for a diagnosis and the results are likely to come on Monday.
Panwala, a known patient of diabetes, had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and died within 12 hours of being admitted to Kasturba hospital.
According to Jaslok Hospital CEO Col Maneesh Masand, "Gandhi was admitted to our hospital on August 6 and tested positive for malaria. However, on Sunday, he developed breathlessness.'' The hospital then called in an infectious diseases expert to check on Gandhi. "He advised us to move him to Kasturba hospital immediately as it could be H1N1. Unfortunately, we heard that Gandhi passed away three hours later,'' added Masand.
Civic officials were, however, categorical that Gandhi's death was not due to swine flu. "He was a confirmed case of malaria. Every death in Kasturba hospital is not due to swine flu,'' said Dr Jairaj Thanekar, executive health officer of the BMC.
There is discrepancy as to where Gandhi was admitted. While civic officials say he was not in the H1N1 isolation ward, eyewitnesses said that they had seen his body being brought out of the ward around 4 pm. His relatives were waiting outside the ward.