Delhi Records 138 New H1N1 Cases as Tally Hits 2,446; Hospitals Step Up Measures
Delhi reported 138 new H1N1 cases in 24 hours, taking the cumulative number of cases in the city to 2,446 this year, the Delhi government said on Wednesday. The total number of Influenza-A cases across the capital has now reached 3,177 amid an increase in seasonal respiratory infections.
In response to the rising numbers, Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh held a virtual review meeting with medical directors and medical superintendents of Delhi government hospitals to assess healthcare readiness for H1N1, seasonal influenza, and other respiratory illnesses.
The health minister directed hospitals to strengthen emergency services and maintain adequate stocks of testing facilities, medicines, and isolation beds. Hospitals have been ordered to reserve at least five isolation beds, while larger hospitals must keep 10 or more beds dedicated to managing influenza and vector-borne disease cases. Facilities have also been instructed to deploy senior residents, maintain shift-wise rosters, and ensure the round-the-clock availability of doctors and medical staff.
Hospitals must also establish or strengthen dedicated flu corners in emergency departments to evaluate suspected patients promptly and collect swab samples where clinically indicated. Adequate stocks of Viral Transport Medium and other collection supplies must be maintained, with special care and timely assessment directed toward children and elderly patients.
"There is no need for panic. Most of the patients who have come to hospitals so far have presented with mild fever and other common symptoms and have recovered within a day or two," Singh said, assuring that government hospitals are fully prepared.
The Delhi Medical Association has also issued an advisory urging residents to exercise caution. The association advised individuals with flu-like symptoms to wear N95 masks, avoid crowded settings, and refrain from meeting friends and relatives. It further cautioned against taking antibiotics or antivirals without consulting a doctor and urged travellers returning from areas with high influenza activity to monitor their health for 10 days.
