Private medicos under lens for delay in treatment for swine flu

NASHIK

: The civic administration has warned of strict action against private medical practitioners, who do not administer Tamiflu tablets to swine flu suspects on time, and later send them to NMC hospitals.


The civic health department is going to organise training sessions for private doctors in order to discourage this habit

Officials from the health department said that by the time the patient is sent to government hospitals, it is already too late to start the treatment.

Since January 1, the government hospitals have received four such cases among the total 94 patients tested positive for swine flu. All four of them died.

During the corresponding period last year, there was only one patient who contracted the disease and succumbed.

Medical superintendent at

Nashik Municipal Corporation

(NMC) Rahul Gaikwad said, “We have warned private medical practitioners that action will be taken against them if they do not give Tamiflu tablets to a person, who is suspected to have swine flu, taking treatment for eight to 10 days. Strict action will be taken if we realise that there was a delay in treatment and the patient died after being transferred to an NMC hospital. We can also file offences against them”

Gaikwad further added, “We are giving training to the practitioners on what line of treatment they should follow at the initial stage. We had given training to members of the

Indian Medical Association

(IMA). Now, we are training family physicians, homeopaths, ayurved practitioners and the like as they are approached first when someone falls ill. We are also sending guidelines of the government to their clinics and taking confirmation receipts from them.”

Reacting to NMC’s warning, IMA city president Avesh Palod said, “The awareness made by the health department through newspaper will only spread fear among the medical fraternity. Things should not come to such an extent that doctors stop taking patients suffering from flu.”

Stressing that no doctor is negligent on purpose, Palod said that doctors could not tell if a patient was suffering from swine flu in the first 24 hours.

“In such a scenario, if doctors keep aside their medical knowledge and blindly administer Tamiflu, there is a possibility that patient suffering from normal flu or swine flu stop the Tamiflu course in between. There are also chances of patients and their relatives complaining that Tamiflu has been started without diagnosing H1N1. If all the doctors are instructed to start Tamiflu course, there will be problems of the availability of the drug. Very few pharmacists keep these tablets as they have to maintain a complete record of their purchase, stock and sale,” said Palod.