SWINE FLU DEATH TOLL RAISES FEARS IN WB (REPORT)

**Many fatalities of swine flu have been reported in different cities and towns in the West Bank in the past few days causing a state of panic among the citizens. (Image: PIC)**

West Bank, 1 Jumadal Akhir 1436/21 March 2015 (MINA) – Many fatalities of swine flu have been reported in different cities and towns in the West Bank in the past few days causing a state of panic among the citizens in spite of the fact that the media and the official bodies consider the death toll to be within the usual rate.

Iman Bani Odeh expressed her concern over the successive deaths in just a few days and said that she is not convinced that this is normal, Palestinian Information Center (PIC) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Dr. Amjad Yasin confirmed that the increased mortality is a matter of concern, however what reduces anxiety levels is that the deaths happened at the end of winter; the last days of the virus spread.

He added that if these cases were reported at the beginning of the disease season, it would have been a serious problem; he also noted that some fatalities were infected with the virus more than a month ago and just died recently.

63 infections and 5 deaths

Osama Al-Najjar, the Ministry of Health in Ramallah spokesman, said in a press statement on Wednesday 18-March that from the beginning of the year 2015, 63 swine flu infected cases were reported in different areas in the West Bank.

The latest victim of this disease was Aboud Sawan, 36, the Sharia judge of Immatin town in Qalqilya, who remained about a month under treatment, he clarified.

The Director General of Primary Health Care in the Palestinian Ministry of Health As’ad Ramlawi asserted that the disease is under control and that there are clear instructions in all governorates to take any suspicious case of the disease seriously.

“Five deaths were reported,” he said, adding, “Most infected citizens have received the appropriate treatment and were cured of the disease except for five cases that are still under supervision.”

Ramlawi stressed, “The most that can be done is being done and some cases were transferred to hospitals in the 1948 occupied lands.”

He urged all citizens to go to the hospitals and conduct the tests in case the symptoms appear, and assured that the necessary experiences to deal with the disease are available. (T/P006/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)