Thane district has 114 active cases of swine flu at present. These include 82 cases from Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), 23 from Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), four from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), three from Mira-Bhayandar and one each from Badlapur and Ambernath municipal councils.
Among these, the number of cases within KDMC continues to be constant while a slight spike is noticed in the number of swine flu cases in NMMC. However, in TMC, less than a week after the corporation made swine flu testing free in all the health centres, more than 60 such cases have been detected.
Thane city had 22 swine flu cases reported on Wednesday last week and the number has now increased to 82. However, no new deaths have been recorded in the last one week.
More than three lakh tests have been conducted across Thane district for swine flu till now. “We have made provisions for free testing facilities at all the 28 public health centres in the TMC jurisdiction. Moreover, we have a standalone testing facility at Majiwada-based Post-Covid Centre. For those who are keen, there are around 11 paid swine flu private testing facilities as well. Currently, we have 82 active swine flu cases out of the total 117 cases detected in July,” said a health officer from TMC.
Special swine flu wards or bed provisions have been made at the Civil Hospital and also within Thane civic body’s jurisdiction. Fifty beds have been arranged at Parking Plaza in Thane for swine flu patients and provisions for a 20-bed ward have also been made in Thane Civil Hospital.
Navi Mumbai has so far reported 16 confirmed swine flu cases over the last month and has sent an advisory to private hospitals and general practitioners on the protocols needed to be followed.
Of the 16, 12 have been discharged, two are admitted and two others are in home isolation. Till now, around 2.71 lakh people have been scanned for swine flu. “Unlike Covid, in swine flu, people cannot themselves decide whether or not to get tested or not. The general physician needs to figure out if a test is needed and the sample is then sent to NIV. Even Kasturba Hospital has the facility and if needed, even there the samples can be sent,” said Abhijit Bangar, NMMC commissioner.
Currently, NMMC has dedicated a ward at Vashi General Hospital for swine flu exclusively.
“Swine flu is sporadic and mostly occurs during monsoon and winter. In the last two years, the focus was on Covid and no swine flu case was reported,” said Dr Pramod Patil, medical health officer.