Swine flu spreads to 2 new cities

It's the big battle India is fighting. Twenty people in the country have now tested positive for swine flu and there are several suspected cases.

In Delhi, a Jalandhar student arriving from the US has tested positive. As a result, 31 of his group are being checked for swine flu. At least seven are being further tested.

But there's a bigger worry for Delhi.

A man fled a government hospital even before he tested negative for swine flu.

It's the second time that the rules have been breached in the Capital.

Now police may be posted at hospitals. Anyone who refuses to comply with the government regulations can be arrested

Says Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia: "It is very important this doesn't happen and the hospitals have to be more cautious, may be put guards outside the wards."

The reports of the man who absconded from the hospital has come negative, and that's lucky both for him and for people he made contact with.

The important question at what cost are the people being irresponsible and the government ineffective.

Things are going a bit more smoothly in Bangalore. A mother and child on Sunday became the first swine flu patients there.

They flew in from New Jersey on Friday early morning. 

Karnataka Health Commissioner Shrinivasachary says: "There's no need to panic we are taking all precautions, the mother and the daughter are fine."

Now, all the 281 passengers of Air France Flight number 192 are being tracked down and screened.

With swine flu now declared a pandemic, the rule dictate that screening and reporting of suspected patients is much tougher.

But this is one situation where authorities believe the public will cooperate.