Swine Flu-hit Mumbai youth critical

MUMBAI: A 28-year-old youth admitted in a private hospital here has tested positive for H1N1 virus and is in "very critical" condition, manager of the medical facility said on Saturday.

Sandeep Gaikwad was admitted in L H Hiranandani Hospital in suburban Powai on August 3 and Swine Flu infection was confirmed last evening, Manager of the hospital Manish Joshi said.

He is the first critical H1N1 patient in Mumbai. "His condition is very critical. A team from the state government referral hospital - Kasturba Hospital - came last night to see his condition and decided to keep him here as he is on ventilator and very critical," Joshi said.

Hiranandani Hospital CEO, Sujit Chatterjee, said Gaikwad was admitted with acute respiratory distress syndrome (difficulty in breathing due to a serious ailment). He is in ICU and on ventilator since Wednesday, he said.

Pradeep Awate, Swine Flu in-charge at Maharashtra Health Directorate, said the government doctors, who visited Hiranandani Hospital, decided to keep the patient there and not shift him to Kasturba.

According to the directorate, 40 confirmed H1N1 cases were reported yesterday. A total of 77 positive cases are being treated in various government hospitals at Pune and Mumbai.