RAWALPINDI: The first case of influenza H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, of this season was reported in the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on Dec 24.

The patient died on Friday before the report confirming the diagnosis arrived from the National Institute of Health (NIH).

A resident of Haripur, Mohammad Imtiaz, was brought to BBH on Monday (Dec 24) with pneumonia and seasonal flu. However, doctors suspected he may have swine flu and sent samples to NIH for testing.

The patient died on Friday and the report from NIH came the next day on Saturday, confirming that the patient had swine flu.

Dr Hassan Yazdani, who was treating the patient, is also suffering from fever and flu and other doctors at the hospital suspect he has symptoms of influenza H1N1 as well.

Young Doctors Association BBH chapter President Dr Rana Azeem told Dawn that the house officer was suffering from a bad flu and fever, adding that the doctor may have been exposed to the virus due to the administration’s negligence.

He said the hospital should have taken safety measures such as vaccinating doctors and paramedical staff and that even when they are vaccinated, it is when the vaccines have almost expired.

“Doctors were vaccinated against hepatitis B and C in July 2018 but the vaccine was to expire in September,” he said. He explained that vaccines are not affective three months before they are to expire.

BBH Medical Superintendent Dr Tariq Niazi told Dawn that the patient had come from Haripur with influenza H1N1 and died on Dec 28.

The hospital had adopted safety measures when it was suspected the patient had swine flu, he said, adding thatthe patient had been kept in quarantine.

He said doctors and paramedical staff had been vaccinated against the disease, adding that reports of a doctor treating the patient coming down with influenza H1N1 are false and that all safety measures prescribed in the World Health Organisation protocol are employed.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2018