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After Pune, Swine flu creates panic at Delhi hospital

By IANS,

New Delhi : A day after hundreds of people thronged a Pune hospital for swine flu test, a similar situation erupted at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in the capital Thursday.

Wearing masks and hand gloves, hundreds of people rushed to the hospital, one of the key screening centres for swine flu in Delhi.

“There was a rush since morning. Many people who have seasonal flu are coming for testing as private hospitals are advising them not to take any chances,” a doctor at the hospital said.

“At least 150 people visited the centre by 3 p.m. The number could be more. There were many voluntary patients who just want to get tested,” the doctor added.

However, there was no chaos like at the Pune hospital since the RML Hospital is well equipped to handle a large number of patients.

“We are well prepared. There was not much problem for us,” RML medical superintendent N.K. Chaturvedi told IANS.

The hospital has been chosen by the central government to be a tertiary care centre for management of suspected swine flu cases. The hospital has started separate screening and counselling centres for visitors.

On Wednesday, nearly 1,000 people visited Pune’s Naidu Hospital leading to chaos at the screening centre. Scuffle broke out as voluntary patients jostled to get themselves tested first. The Maharashtra city has reported Country’s first swine flu death on Monday when Reeda Shaikh succumbed to influenza A (H1N1).