Swine flu toll rises to 21, PM says no need to panic

Bangalore/Pune: A 37-year-old woman on Thursday died of swine flu in Pune, taking the nationwide death toll to 21

Archana Kolhe died in a private hospital, Shri Nursing Home, around 1545 hours IST, the Maharashtra Swine Flu Control Room officials said.

This was the 15th swine flu death in Maharashtra and 12th in Pune. Two people have died in Mumbai and one in Nashik.

A 26-year-old teacher became the first swine flu casualty in Bangalore while an infant died in Pune. The teacher, identified as Roopa, who worked in a private school, had tested positive for the virus and was undergoing treatment at Bangalore's St Philomena Hospital for respiratory disorders, health authorities said. She died on Wednesday.

However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said panic should not be created and the Government is doing its best.

The rise in flu cases in the country was discussed threadbare at the meeting of the Union Cabinet in Delhi, during which the Prime Minister asked Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to work towards restoring confidence of the people and ensuring that panic is not created.

Sources said Azad made a presentation on the flu situation before the Cabinet following which the issue was discussed in great detail.

Expressing concern over the swine flu situation, the PM is understood to have said that this was a major problem before the country and the Government is doing its best.

Azad told reporters after the meeting that "the Central and the state governments are taking all possible measures. For the past one week, we have been reserving places in government and some private hospitals. We are also looking for some private laboratories since they are now needed."

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Trivedi said that Azad had warned of legal action against all those private hospitals that did not cooperate with the government.

However, Trivedi said that though there are provisions under law to take action against non-cooperating hospitals, such legal action may not be a feasible action at the moment.