E-Paper
NRI visiting family in Gujarat falls to flu
Gujarat recorded its first swine flu death on Sunday, when Pravin Patel (43) a non-resident Indian (NRI) succumbed to the deadly virus.
Gujarat recorded its first swine flu death on Sunday, when Pravin Patel (43) a non-resident Indian (NRI) succumbed to the deadly virus.
Patel's wife, who came with him on July 31 from Atlanta in the US, is undergoing treatment at the hospital. They were visiting their relatives in Ahmedabad’s Ranip area.
He was admitted to the civil hospital here on Friday night in a critical condition after he was treated at a private hospital in the city, which was not able to detect it as swine flu.
“It is unfortunate that the case was not detected on time. But our intention is not to blame anyone. We will hold a meeting with the private hospitals and work in coordination to detect and cure the patients,” said Jay Narayan Vyas, Gujarat Minister for Health.
Patel’s death came as an alarm for the state, which sees a good flow of NRIs during Navratri and in the winters.
“That is a concern but we also expect that there would be some positive development by that time (in the form of a vaccine, etc.) and initiatives from the Centre, which would help us handle the situation,” Vyas said.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting on Sunday. “We have not given any advisories to anyone, we do not want to create panic,” Vyas said.
