The parents, friends and relatives of a 14-year-old girl in Pune are angry. A 9th standard student of a school in Pune, she was the first casualty of swine flu in the country. Her parents allege that Jahangir Hospital where she was admitted initially as a case of pneumonia had kept them in the dark.
The girl showed symptoms of the flu on July 21 but got better soon after and started attending school. Then again, five days later, the fever was back and far worse. She had to be admitted to the ICU.
"I have lost my child; it shouldn't happen to anyone else. The government should take strict action against this," said Sajid Osman Shaikh, her father.
But this girl's death has exposed the lack of coordination between government agencies. Pune's health authorities who were so far monitoring the swine cases in Pune's schools
were totally in the dark about one case being treated at one of Pune's prime hospital, until the news of her death was confirmed and that too from Delhi.
"I was informed about the case only after the incident, even my health officials were not informed," said Mahesh Zagade, municipal commissioner, Pune.
Jahangir hospital, whose primary responsibility was to refer the matter to the specially created swine flu hospital in Pune did not bother to inform the Pune health authorities who were found napping when the news of the girl's death broke.
"We had informed the state health authorities and we were in touch with them," put forth Dr Prasad Mulgikar, from Jahangir Hospital, Pune.
Shockingly the Jahangir Hospital had asked another top private hospital to conduct a test of swine flu on the girl which turned out to be negative. Perhaps not knowing that swine flu tests are conducted only at the Pune's National Institute of Virology and NICD at Delhi - a lapse which cost the girl her life.
Meanwhile her shocked school has declared a holiday on Tuesday to condole the death of their student. Her parents are contemplating legal action against the hospital for what they say was a series of grave lapses.
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