Swine flu deaths: SKIMS, Health Dept records differ

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 1

A woman died of swine flu last month leaving behind an eight-month-old baby. She was taken to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, on the evening of February 16, for swine flu treatment.

Minutes after her admission to SKIMS, she went into coma and succumbed the next day. Doctors said she was suffering from swine flu, but died due to a heart attack.

In all, 32 people have died from swine flu infections in Kashmir in the past six months.

As per the SKIMS records, 32 people have died in 2017-2018 while as the Union Health Ministry puts the number at nine in J&K.

Officials say the SKIMS authorities haven’t shared any details about swine flu with the Health Department, creating a confusion about the deaths due to the disease.

The official data released by the Union Health Ministry says only one person died due to swine flu in 2011 in the state while no death reported in 2012, two in 2013, again zero in 2014, 20 in 2015, zero in 2016 and 26 in 2017.

However, the number is more than what has been communicated to the Union Health Ministry. “The SKIMS authorities don’t share the data with us. We usually collect it unofficially and communicate to the Health Ministry,” a senior health official said.

The SKIMS officials said under the law, they were not supposed to report the swine flu deaths to the government as it was not a notifiable disease.

“Our data is project-based and we usually don’t share the details of swine flu deaths with the Health Department,” said Dr Parvez Koul, head of Kashmir’s influenza project, which runs from SKIMS.

The data states...

• As per the SKIMS records, 32 persons died in J&K during 2017-2018 while the number is nine as per the Union Health Ministry
• The official data says only one person died due to swine flu in 2011 in the state while no death in 2012, two in 2013, none in 2014, 20 in 2015, none in 2016 and 26 were reported in 2017
• However, the number is more than what has been communicated to the Union Health Ministry

‘Under no obligation’

• SKIMS officials said under the law, they were not supposed to report the swine flu deaths to the government as it was not a notifiable disease
• Notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to the government authorities
• The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease and provide early warning of possible outbreaks