Since January, swine flu has claimed the lives of over 400 people across the country; over 5,000 people have tested positive for the disease, according to the Union health ministry.
One of the most acute outbreaks of the disease is suspected to be in Madhya Pradesh, where 44 people have died due to the disease this year, say government officials. But according to off-the-record estimates by several doctors, swine flu has claimed the lives of over 60 people in the state.
The state health department has taken a number of measures, including setting up screening centres and raising awareness levels about the disease. But these steps seem to be faltering on the ground level.
"I told them I have the symptoms of swine flu and I want a face mask, but they refused," Rajnish Jharia, a patient, told NDTV.
Some reports have suggested that there is a shortage of Tamiflu tablets at a few hospitals; the state, meanwhile, has only two centres to test for the disease, in Jabalpur and Gwalior.
Anita, a nurse working at the swine flu ward of JP hospital, says, "It takes three days to get the report after we send the blood samples to the centres. If swine flu is confirmed, then they message us. If it's a critical case, then it is a problem".
But the state government disagrees with her.
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