New Delhi, Aug 8: As thousands have started queuing up outside government hospitals to get tests for Swine Flu or H1N1 influenza since the country's first death reported on Monday, Aug 3; state government have started identifying private hospitals and laboratories that can now test and treat the Swine Flu.

After the Health Ministry took the decision to accredit private hospitals, eleven such hospitals have been identified in Bangalore on Friday, Aug 7. Other states too are planning to do the same.

"We have decided to allow private laboratories with high level of bio-safety to conduct the swine flu tests but only after they are accredited by the Health Ministry based on their testing capacity," Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said.

Private Hospitals treating Swine Flu in Bangalore

The government has also decided to decentralise the supply of the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu at district level apart from planning to separate isolation wards from testing centres in an attempt to avoid any accidental exposure of people coming for the test in isolation wards.

Private Hospitals identified to treat Swine Flu in Mumbai

"The people tested positive for swine flu at private laboratories have to come to a designated government hospital to get Tamiflu. They can show us the prescription of the doctor from the concerned hospital and government hospital will administer vaccine to them," Dayal said.

Dayal said that accredited private hospitals will be allowed to stock and administer the medicine, but the government is against private sale of Tamiflu to avoid people buying and consuming it without having been infected with the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.

OneIndia News