IMPHAL, March 4: A man with symptoms of swine flu came for treatment at RIMS today.
Dr Ratan, who did the check up on the patient at the Casualty Ward at RIMS said, the man`™s wife had earlier been taken for treatment for an ailment at MAX hospital in Delhi.
During the couirse of the treatment, besides her other ailments, his wife also tested positive for swine flu. However, after curing her of swine flu they returned home to Imphal.
However, after reaching here the man had fallen ill and started showing symptoms of swine flu. He complained of having fever, joint pain, body ache etc.
This morning he was taken for check up at the RIMS OPD, the doctor said.
After hearing his complaint, the doctor at RIMS referred him to the Directorate of Health Services, Government of Manipur, to screen for swine flu as there was no facility for this at RIMS.
IFP contacted Dr Sachi Mangang, an Epidermologist at State Directorate of Health Services, to enquire about the case.
Dr Sachi informed that the man`™s wife was suffering from `Auto-immune disease` and they went to Delhi for treatment.
His wife tested positive for swine flu and the diagnosis was done on Feb 13, 2015.
She was treated there only and after she was cleared of the flu virus they came returned home to Imphal.
But as there was suspicion that the man might have caught the flu virus from his wife, doctors at RIMS referred him to the Directorate.
However, the doctors at the Directorate did not see any possible sign of swine flu and he was sent home. His name and address etc were recorded in the log book of the office.
IFP also contacted the Director of Health Services, Dr Okram Ibomcha to enquire about the case.
The Director said the man who came here for check up had already been administered with anti swine flu vaccine during his stay at Delhi for treatment of his wife.
He said his ailment was probably a reaction to the vaccine he was administered.
However, as a precautionary measure he will be under observation for a week starting from the day he came back to Imphal on February 28 till March 7, the Director said.
He was sent home with the advice to stay at home only during this period, he said.
Director Dr O Ibomcha Singh further informed that the symptoms of swine flu are divided into three categories and it is not necessary to test for category A and B. But it is compulsory to test for category C and also needs to be kept at isolation ward, he added.
He said the Directorate had already informed all the hospitals in the State including JNIMS and RIMs to provide isolation wards for treatment of swine flu.