Defence hospitals to open four labs to test swine flu cases

Military hospitals will join the civilian efforts to test and treat patients in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore from Thursday as swine flu cases kept rising in the country.

Military hospitals will join the civilian efforts to test and treat patients in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore from Thursday as swine flu cases kept rising in the country.

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Four laboratories will be opened at the military hospitals in these cities where tests on suspected swine flu cases will be conducted, Defence Ministry sources said on Wednesday.

The move comes after a senior Health Ministry official placed a request for help to manage the crisis in these major cities arising out of swine flu outbreak.

The military hospital doctors too would help in treating patients admitted in civilian hospitals in these cities, the sources said.

"We will join the efforts of civilian hospitals immediately," they said.

However, they said military hospitals did not possess testing kits, which they expected to get by tomorrow, either on their own or with Health Ministry supplies.

"We had anticipated such a situation and have identified suppliers of both testing kits and medicines. We will certainly use our resources to good use in this hour of crisis," they said.