Health minister discharged from hospital

Kathmandu, September 3

Minister for Health Giriraj Mani Pokharel has been discharged from hospital after treatment of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. He was admitted to Bir hospital a week ago with high fever.

Minister Pokharel has requested people not to panic as treatment of the disease is possible in the country. “One can fully recover after treatment,” he said. He also asked people not to confuse influenza with swine flu as the virus is not transmitted from pigs to humans. The minister also requested patients of all kinds to visit government hospitals for treatment as they provide quality service.

The minister has also directed government hospitals to increase isolation rooms in hospitals for treatment of influenza patients.

From among the 2,531 samples collected so far this fiscal, 846 people have tested positive for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. Of them, 12 succumbed to the disease, said Dr Bhim Acharya, director at Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Teku.

Influenza is a respiratory illness caused by virus that transmits mainly by droplets disseminated by unprotected coughs and sneezes. Hand contamination. Direct inoculation of virus is another source of transmission.

Persons with diseases such as  chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung cancer, any chronic diseases in lungs, heart patients, people living with kidney diseases, diabetes, hypertension, alcoholic, smokers, hepatitis and HIV infected people and obese are under the risk of infection.