Death toll up 50% to 66 in a week

The death toll from type-A (H1N1) influenza rose to 66 yesterday, after the virus claimed 22 more lives during the seven days since the last report.
The Public Health Ministry will issue the official update at its weekly press conference tomorrow.The ministry announced last Wednesday that fatalities had hit 44 since the disease broke out in the country in May. Infections now number 6,776.Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopa-mornbodi said about 30 per cent of the fatalities could be blamed on delayed treatment. Some victims had wanted to stay home or sought medication at a nearby clinic rather than going to a hospital to undergo treatment, he said. This was why the virus had spread to their lungs so rapidly.Manit said he had ordered the ministry to investigate drug distribution to hospitals operating under its responsibility across the country.All hospitals must stock an adequate supply of medicine and distribute antiviral drugs thoroughly.He also asked the National Health Security Office to invite private hospital and clinics to discuss medical services that follow the ministry's standards.To date, more than 2.8 million tablets of oseltamivir out of the 6.23 million available have been delivered to hospitals around the country.The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation will produce 40 million more antiviral tablets to build up inventories.Alarmed at the surge in infections and fatalities, the Public Health Ministry has decided to allow private clinics nationwide - and not just hospitals - to prescribe the oseltamivir directly to patients with flu-like symptoms on a trial basis.The pilot project has been under way in Ratchaburi for a week, since the province reported the second-highest number of fatalities in the country with seven. Bangkok has the highest number. The results from this project will be used as a guideline for clinics nationwide.The ministry's advisory committee on a strategy for public health and medicine, chaired by leading virologist Prasert Thongcharoen, also met with health experts to discuss the distribution of antiviral drugs to clinics, which would help patients with flu-like symptoms access the medicine faster.
6% OF CLINICS TO GET DRUGA health expert, who wanted to be unnamed, said the committee would draw up the ministry's specific criteria for clinics to prescribe the antiviral drug for flu treatment.The source said those clinics volunteering for the project would be asked to register with the ministry. Physicians at the clinics must be trained by the ministry in antiviral prescription. They will be required to send reports about the amount of antivirals in stock and the amount prescribed.There is no need for every clinic in the province to store the antiviral drug. Only 6 per cent of all clinics in a province will be required to carry the medicine for type-A (H1N1) flu treatment.However, there is no regulation to ban clinics from keeping a supply of oseltamivir, the source added.

Source: The Nation