MULTAN: Two more patients diagnosed with seasonal influenza (N1H1) passed away in the Nishtar Hospital on Friday, taking the death toll from the viral disease to 16.

The patients who lost their live were Hameed from Multan and Ayesha from Rajanpur.

According to Epidemic Control Programme district coordinator Dr Attaur Rehman, nine suspected N1H1 patients were admitted to hospitals during the last 24 hours out of which eight were from Multan and one from Muzaffargarh.

“So far, 92 suspected patients have been admitted to hospitals of the district, out of which 41 are positive, 41 negative and result of 10 patients is awaited.”

Three doctors, one from CMH and two from Nishtar, have also been diagnosed with the disease and they are admitted to the hospitals. Dr Waqas is admitted in CMH and Dr Ambreen and Dr Hina are admitted in the Nishtar Hospital.

Dr Rehman said both the doctors admitted to Nishtar were in a stable condition. He said Dr Ambreen was vaccinated some three days back but she fell victim to the disease.

Nishtar’s Senior Registrar Dr Abdul Khaliq said due to lack of vaccination people were falling victim to the disease in a large number.

He said it was a common practice that the people did not consult doctors when they were hit by flu until their condition became complicated. He said the people with chronic diseases were at a greater risk and they should visit their physicians immediately if they caught flu.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2018