Trichy: Frustrated over the trend of H1N1 patients being referred to government hospitals at the end stage, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) government hospital in Trichy reached out to private practitioners and advised to them to diagnose the disease early instead of pushing them to government hospitals during end stages.Despite repeated appeals from the state health department to private practitioners to provide special attention to the patients showing symptoms of H1N1, the response was not impressive resulting in referral of high number of such fever patients in critical stage.As on Friday, MGM government hospital has 10 patients with H1N1 symptoms. Several of them were referred from private hospitals at the severe stage, making it clear that people still preferred private hospitals.Considering the vital role played by private practitioners in rightly diagnosing the fever and administering necessary treatment to the patients, MGM dean Dr S Mary Lilly arranged for the meeting at the Indian Medical Association (IMA) hall on Thursday. MGM medical superintendent Dr G Anitha explained the doctors the systematic procedures to be followed."It was an advice to the doctors treating H1N1 cases. When they follow the guidelines while handling such cases, the patients can be saved easily. As a government hospital, we cannot refuse to accept any patient referred even at the end stage. But the private doctors can ensure that the patient recovers by following the guidelines," Anitha told TOI on Friday. She also advised the doctors not to prescribe for lab tests for H1N1 if there were no symptoms of fever.MGM government hospital has put on display on its premises a chart about the three categories of symptoms classified as A, B and C. Each symptom requires different way of treatment including home isolation, TamiFlu tablet, and isolation in hospital.Patients down with H1N1 include children also. MGM pediatrician Dr M K Senthilkumar advised doctors to give more attention to children vulnerable to the fever. "The disease will easily spread from children to adults. So, the doctors can vaccinate the children who come under high risk category in order to prevent them from getting the fever. Doctors need not wait for lab test to prescribe TamiFlu syrup to children," Senthilkumar told TOI.On the other hand, the hospital has been witnessing steady flow of H1N1 cases for the past one month. Keeping in mind the increasing number of patients, the hospital has converted one more ward into isolation ward.

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