Post News Network
Cuttack/Bhubaneswar, Feb 1: The killer swine flu claimed its first victim of this year in the state, when a 42-year-old man died due to the disease in Cuttack Sunday afternoon.
Victim Aditya Narayan Jena of Mukundaprasad in Khurdha district died due to swine flu disease at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, the hospital’s emergency officer Dr Bhubananada Maharana said.
Jena, the cousin of Bhubaneswar Mayor Anant Narayan Jena, was being treated at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar and was Sunday shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital after his condition deteriorated.
‘‘The patient was in a very critical condition when he was brought here. Doctors here tried their best, but could not revive him,’’ Maharana said.
“Doctors did their best, but could not revive him. He died at about 1.30 pm,” he said. While confirming that this was the first swine flu death of the year in the state Maharana, however, said there was no need to panic.
“The SCB Medical College is fully equipped to handle swine flu cases. We have a special isolation ward with 10 beds, with four of them with ventilator and ICU support. In fact, we were equipped even in 2009-10 when the situation was much worse than it is now,” he said.
Following the death, health department officials held an emergency meeting to review the situation in the state secretariat.
Health secretary Arti Ahuja said it was the first death due to swine flu this year.
She, however, said there was no need for panic as the government was taking adequate steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
Jena had tested positive for the H1N1 swine flu virus Saturday, taking the number of patients who have tested positive for the dreaded disease in the state to four.
‘‘The patient was a diabetic and was brought to hospital in a critical condition that made it difficult for doctors to treat him,” said public health director Kailash Dash.
He said doctors have administered preventive medicines to his family members and others who came in contact with the person.