Swine Whine !!

Everyday newspapers are full of information on measures to prevent swine flu and carry exclusive columns dedicated to deaths caused by the deadly H1N1 virus.Information is good,swine flu is a deadly disease and we need to be aware. The emphasis laid on the issue by media is forcing the government to take some action which is very good,taking into account our govt's dismal record of controlling epidemic outbreaks.
What bad can happen by spreading information to control the disease ??
Really can something bad happen? Lets see.Lets take the case of nodal centers for flu.
What about the nodal centers ??
They are working hard to prevent the disease spreading into the community.? This is a big joke given the protective equipment to doctors and other medical staff. In a few days,doctors and other health staff are bound to be a major source of infection if such situation persists.
Without providing proper protective equipment to doctors,the government can't expect to control the disease.
The nodal centers are in for another big problem.
The Acute medical care units are being converted into Isolation wards.AMC usually admits emergency cases like Diabetic keto acidosis, Insecticide poisoning, Snake bites and Cerebrovascular accidents.
Now that the AMC wards are full of Swine flu cases, there is no way such cases can be admitted and they have to be referred to other hospitals .95 - 98 % of the people admitted in Govt hospital like Gandhi are poor.
Lets take the case of a snake bite in a village.He will be taken to nearest the primary health center or a district hospital who in turn refer the case to a tertiary center like Gandhi and Osmania.When he reaches the hospital after travelling such a long distance battling for his life,he doesn't realise he is making his journey to the grave as he will not be admitted in the hospital and by the time he comes out and scouts for another hospital,he is bound to lose his life.Such scenes will be even more common in cases of Cerebrovascular accidents and diabetic keto acidosis who need immediate care and a delay means doom.The apathy of the poor man will not be moving to the media or the Govt.


The government will do nothing to save such patients as they will not be highlighted by the media as Swine flu is being done. Spreading panic does no good to the community.There have been far more deaths due to TB in India. Was the media sleeping then ?
Just because their western counterparts have done something does not mean our
media should follow suit and hype something so much and cause so much damage to the society. Unless the media corrects itself,the poor Stroke patient
or the farmer who consumes insecticide will have no respite.