Flu toll reaches 18; Bandra school shuts

Even as swine flu claimed another life, taking city’s death toll to 18 and state’s to 78, the Arya Vidya Mandir School in Bandra (East), closed down for a week after a student tested positive.

Even as swine flu claimed another life on Friday, taking city’s death toll to 18 and state’s to 78, the Arya Vidya Mandir School in Bandra (East), closed down for a week after a student tested positive.

HT Image

“The school will remain closed from September 12 to 19,” said a school employee, requesting anonymity. The office of the deputy director of education, Mumbai, confirmed the school had been closed.

The swine flu victim, Fatima Momin (35), was suffering from chronic hypertension and diabetes making her vulnerable. The Bhiwani resident had been diagnosed with swine flu almost three weeks after she developed fever, cold and cough, which led to complications.

Civic officials said Momin was being treated by a private doctor for 20 days before being admitted to CritiCare Hospital in Thane. “She was transferred to Nair Hospital on September 8 and put on Tamiflu. There was definitely a time lapse before her admission to Criticare. We are looking into it,” said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar.

State health secretary Sharvaree Gokhale said they had not included a man who died at Kasturba Hospital on Thursday in the state death toll, as his swine flu test report had not come yet. Civic officials, however, said that the man had dengue.