bhopal a 70yearold woman succumbed to swine flu on saturday night taking the death toll to seven in bhopal district integrated disease surveillance project idsp sent 8 samples of suspected swine flu cases to the icmr laboratory in jabalpur on sunday evening a total 29 positive cases have been reported in the city so far this year the swine flu scare continued as 27 out of 30 undergoing treatment are reportedly in a critical state according to health officials two samples were sent from private lbs hospital including that of wellknown laparoscopic surgeon who frequently operates in the same hospital other six samples were sent from rainbow hospital a cardiac surgeons wife was among the nine confirmed cases of swine flu on saturday according to district chief medical and health officer confirmed h1n1 cases in the city have been reported from gandhinagar karond kolar ashoka garden and piplani areas test results for about 23 suspected swine flu cases would be known on monday as regional medical research centre rmrc laboratory was closed for fortnightly fumigation n95 masks sans isolated wards medical staffdoctors nurses and ward staff handling h1n1 patientsare operating without recommended n95 facemasks these masks are part of personal protection equipment ppe made available free to private and government hospitals authorised for treatment of swine flu victims instead of using the idsp recommended masks staff and doctors alike continue to use normal masks as per government norms n95 respiratory masks are for necessary for those who come in contact with patients in hospital we have provided n95 facemasks according to the requirement received from the hospitals said cmho dr pankaj shukla the cmho office is in possession of some 800 such masks he added when asked about lack of protection a senior doctor at a private hospital treating swine flu victims said i do not think n95 mask is required for me in the same hospital less than 10 metre from the swine flu isolation ward medical attendants were having lunchattendant not given tamiflu wearing a plastic mask without any protection an attendant with a 35yearold h1n1 victim awaits to return home in close contact with the h1n1 victim for well over a week in an isolation ward under quarantined conditions the man has not been given tamiflu as a preventive measure even though the health department has gone all out to ask citizens to take precautions against the deadly swine flu infection attendants of swine flu patients are being ignored as per directions of health officials attendants of swine flu victims especially those in close contact need to be given tamiflu as a preventive measure said dr shukla