MULTAN: Another patient who tested positive for ‘swine flu’ (N1H1) died of the disease here on Wednesday.

Hakim Khan, 50, of Khanewal’s Raza Colony and his wife Gul Afshan, 49, were admitted to the Nishtar Hospital on Monday in a critical condition and kept in an isolation ward where they were on the ventilators.

District Coordinator for Prevention and Control Programme of Epidemics Dr Attaur Rehman has confirmed the death of another patient due to the disease.

He said only two patients had died of the disease out of the 12 tested positive for the virus by Wednesday night.

“Initial 48 hours after the appearance of symptoms are very important and if the treatment starts within this period, there is no chance of death,” he said

According to him, Hakim Khan died as he wasted his time in private hospitals and was brought to the Nishtar in a critical condition.

He said instructions had been conveyed to all private hospitals to inform the health department without any delay about the patients with H1N1 symptoms.

He said over a 100 dozes of the medicine for H1N1 had been provided to the Nishtar hospital administration.

He said the Khanewal executive district officer had also been asked to take precautionary measures.

He said the EDO was asked to make special arrangements for the burial of Mr Khan and his clothes should also be burnt.

“It is a seasonal influenza and calling it swine flu is not appropriate as World Health Organization has termed it H1N1, a flu virus similar to the one found in pigs.

“Currently, it is a seasonal flu virus found in humans as the history of one patient, Farrah, relates to the pigs as her husband is a pig hunter while all other cases have nothing to do with pigs.”

He said the disease and its symptoms could be treated without medication by getting a plenty of rest and drinking water and juices to prevent dehydration.

Another H1N1 suspected patient, Imtiaz Mai, of Khanewal’s Denawala locality was shifted to Nishtar Hospital on Wednesday night with the history of one-week fever with 101 temperature. However, there was no history of travelling or contact with pets and birds.