The death of a 47-year-old farmer due to swine flu in the district headquarters hospital here on Saturday triggered panic in the Ram Nagar Colony where he resides.
District Medical and Health Officer (in-charge) B. Ramesh Babu told The Hindu that the farmer, who hailed from Penumuru mandal but had settled in Chittoor long ago, was diagnosed with swine flu at the CMC Hospital at Vellore (Tamil Nadu) on Friday when he was admitted there with uncontrolled diabetes and gangrene in the limbs. His family members brought him back to Chittoor against medical advice and admitted him to the district headquarters hospital on Friday night.
Though the duty doctors advised the family members to take the patient, who had multiple complications, to SVIMS, they refused to oblige. “The patient had cardiac problems too. Though he required amputation of the leg, it could not be performed due to uncontrolled diabetes and falling pulse rate,” officials said.
Medical camp
Dr. Ramesh Babu said all the 12 family members of the farmer were given ‘Tamiflu’ tablets. A medical camp was held in the colony, he said. Medical camps would also be held at Alipiri, Srivarimettu, and railway and bus stations in Tirupati, he said.