Nurse in Gandhi infected by flu

Hyderabad

Sept. 15: A senior nurse working in the isolation ward of Gandhi Hospital was tested positive for swine flu on Tuesday.
According to sources, the nurse was affected due to lack of masks and gloves in the isolation wards, out patient departments, etc.
The nurse was examined when she developed flu symptoms a few days ago. She was allegedly exposed to the deadly virus while handling patients, a source said. Her blood samples were taken by the swine flu department and sent to the Institute of Preventive Medicine, the source added.
The superintendent of Gandhi hospital, Dr K. Ashok, said that he was not sure if the nurse was affected by swine flu or some other illness. “However, as a precautionary measure, we have given her the required dosage of Tamiflu,” he said.
On the lack of preventive measures for the nursing staff in the hospital, Dr Ashok said that all staff members were given protective gear.
Doctors and nurses handling samples are also provided full-fledged protective clothing so that they remain safe while handling the H1N1 positive patients and their samples, he said.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday eight more cases tested positive for swine flu by the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM). The state health secretary, Mr Ram Reddy, told this newspaper that more than 13 patients are being treated at the Chest Hospital. Among them no one is serious, and medical teams have already supplied Tamiflu capsules to relatives of the patients to keep the virus under control, he said.