Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya seeks funds, lab from Centre to deal with swine flu

NEW DELHI: Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has requested the Health Ministry for special funds to improve infrastructure in government hospitals and setting up of a laboratory for dealing with swine flu outbreak in his home state Telangana.

Earlier in the day, Dattatreya, the MP from Secunderabad constituency in Telangana, met Health Minister J P Nadda here after the outburst of swine flu in Telangana due which around 20 people have died, an official statement said.

In response to Dattatraya's request, Nadda had deputed a three-member central team to study the situation.

"...request has been made to sanction special funds to improve the infrastructure in the Government-run hospitals i.e. Osmania and Gandhi Hospitals to deal with this situation," the statement said.

The Labour Minister has also asked the Health Minister to establish a research and virology laboratory centre in Hyderabad in order to reduce the response time in dealing with swine flu disease.

According to the statement, most of the affected people are middle aged and the disease is severe in many remote and tribal areas of Mahabub Nagar, Karimnagar as also in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts.

Yesterday, Dattatreya had visited Gandhi hospital in Hyderabad and enquired about facilities and condition of those undergoing treatment.