BAHAWALPUR: The seasonal swine flu (H1N1) has claimed another life at the emergency ward of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital on Sunday, pushing up the disease toll this season to eight.

The latest victim, Maryam (41), belonged to Alipur tehsil of Muzzafargarh district. She was admitted to the BVH, where she was earlier tested positive for H1N1 and was being treated for the viral disease.

The hospital`s Director (Emergencies) Dr Aamir Bokhari confirmed Maryam died of the viral disease `despite best efforts of the doctors`.

BVH Medical Superintendent Dr Azizur Rehman told Dawn that because of the latest cold wave that followed rains for the past two days the risk for the H1N1 patients had increased. He claimed the woman was provided the best possible treatment but she could not survive.

Dr Bokhari said Maryam was pregnant and because of her pregnancy she became more vulnerable to the virus. He regretted that due to lack of awareness and not taking precautionary measures people were falling victim to the viral ailment.

He said with Maryam`s death the toll of the disease at the BVH had risen to eight -seven women and a man. He added that three of the victims were from the family of Dr Umar of Alipur. The doctor, he said, lost his mother, a brother and a nephew to the disease.

Dr Bokhari said that since Jan 1, 2019 as many as 82 suspected patients of swine flu were admitted to the BVH isolation ward, where 16 of them were tested positive for the disease. Of them, so far eight had expired while others were discharged after recovery, he said.

Presently, he said, there was no swine flu patient under-treatment at the hospital.

DRIVE: The health department on Sunday launched anti-tobacco campaign in the district.

Health Education Officer Zulqarnain Jatoi at an event held here in this connection stressed the need for creating awareness against smoking to bring down the mortality rate.