First case of Swine Flu death reported in Delhi

Delhi reported its first case of Swine Flu (H1N1) death at the Safdarjung Hospital recently.

Mahesh Gupta, a 59-yr old man hailing from Uttar Pradesh was admitted in a critical condition at the hospital, directly landing himself in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Mahesh was reported dead on the same night.

A 59-year-old patient from Uttar Pradesh who was undergoing treatment for swine flu (H1N1) died here at the Safdarjung hospital this week, an official said on Friday.

After a reported dengue menace in the capital, the Delhi government is leaving nothing to chance with the expected number of swine flu cases likely to rise. Once recently the state government has issued directive to the concerned authorities to double the number of hospitals beds in view of the preparedness of the H1N1 Influenza Virus (swine flu). This was decided in a meeting chaired by Delhi's Health Minister Satyendra Jain.

Jain had directed that isolated wards in hospitals must be kept in a state of readiness and number of beds should be doubled than last year.

"The patient was brought in a critical condition. He tested positive for swine flu and was referred to Safdarjung hospital from Apollo hospital," a senior official at the hospital said.

The patients' samples will be sent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to confirm if he was affected by the H1N1 infection, hospital authorities said.