The family of swine flu patient Palak Setia, who was home-quarantined after she was diagnosed with the virus, has accused the health department of not doing enough to provide required medical help to their daughter.

The patient was today admitted to the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMC&H) after she complained of vomiting in the morning.

The father of the patient, who was confirmed positive on Monday, said the health department was giving them a cold shoulder when it came to patient-care and that they had to arrange for hospital transport and subsequently for an isolated room in CMCH on their own.

Vinod Setia said they did not like the way the department left it to themseves to look after the patient, instead of responding responsibly when they called them up for help at around 5 am in the morning. “We called the health official concerned since we were worried about increased vomiting that Palak had in the morning. We later shifted her to Christian Medical College and Hospital on our own,” claimed the patient’s uncle, Dhruv.

The Health Department however dismissed the blame saying that it provided full medical care and offered all possible help in the case and that it had been keeping in touch with the patient’s relatives and also sent its officials to her home regularly to keep a tab on her condition.

The Civil Surgeon, Dr Maninderjit Singh clarified that the district epidemiologist attended well to patient and all the requirements in the case were addressed with full responsibility. “It was in fact the department who requested the CMCH to provide a good room with isolated conditions at the hospital after the patient’s relatives refused to take her to the civil hospital. I do not think there should be any complaint.”

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