Private hospitals not informed about where patients should apply in case of infection with "swine flu"

The due state agencies including the State Veterinary Service, State Frontier Service of Azerbaijan and State Railway company perform all tasks that are set before them. Blood samples of pigs are taken, special measures at border checkpoints in northern areas are held, the State Railway company is conducting promotional activities, guides give passengers a memo, which refers to the signs of the "swine flu" virus and precautions.

A recent report distributed by the State Commission for Prevention of pig flu in Azerbaijan and coordination of joint activities of all the structures in this area indicates that in case suspicious facts are found citizens should immediately contact the local health facility or to call emergency medical assistance.

Following the advice of the said Commission , we decided to test a number of medical institutions, to learn about how well our nurses are prepared to give the first aid to a H1N1 infected patient, and to learn whether our medical centers take the analysis for revealing the swine flu virus.

The journalistic investigation revealed that the medical centers Nyabz, Logman, Sağlamlığın sirri ( Secrets of Health), as well as urban polyclinics number 26, located on the territory of Nizami district of Baku do not hold analysis to identify the pig flu, because they are not equipped with the necessary reagents, identifying H1N1.

Director of Sağlamlığın sirri Medical Center Unar Abbasov told our journalist, "... that we are not instructed about the rules of analysis to detect the virus".

Head of Press Service of the State Veterinary Service under the Ministry of Agriculture Yolcu Hanveli noted that the Laboratory of the State Veterinary Servive has the required reagents for the detection of the pig flu virus.

"At present, our experts hold collect pig blood samples. So far, no case of infection with the virus was identified. If necessary, we can test these reagents  on human blood. Reagents have been brought to Azerbaijan since 2006", said J. Hanveli.

Spokesman for the Health Ministry Anar Gadirli in an interview with the correspondent said that the Reference-laboratory of the Institute of Lung Diseases conducted a direct analysis to identify the pig flu virus.

"If a person feels bad, he applies to the polyclinics. If your clinic feels that there is a suspected pig flu virus, then the patient is sent to the Institute of Lung Diseases. Reagents have been brought to Azerbaijan recently", said Anar Gadirli.

We can not stress one important fact in the course of the investigation of health care facilities. The point is that in private medical centers medical staff was not informed about where the patient may apply in case of infection with pig flu, but urban clinic number 26 stated that if there are any suspicions to the virus, the patient is sent to the Institute of Lung Diseases.

/Day.Az/