By Naim-Ul-Karim

    DHAKA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh has decided to establish separate units at all district level hospitals for treatment of A/H1N1 flu amid pandemic fear as 17 flu deaths have been reported in neighbor India.

    The government has taken a number of fresh measures also including involvement of development organizations in the government's drives to tackle the A/H1N1 flu which affected 36 so far in the country, officials said on Thursday.

    "We've decided to involve NGO-run hospitals and clinics with flu preventing drives as they also have capacity to support the government in creation of mass awareness," Shah Monir Hossain, Director General of Health Service under the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua on Thursday.

    It was made at a high-level technical committee meeting held here in Dhaka on Wednesday to review Bangladesh's position in the context of swift global spread of the A/H1N1 flu.

    Among the total 36 A/H1N1 flu patients in the South Asian country, health officials said six patients are undergoing treatment at their own homes under the supervision of doctors. Andso far there is no report of death.

    At the meeting on Wednesday, "we've also made decision to tighten surveillance across the country and train more nurses, doctors and officials concerned," said Hossain.

    As part of strengthening surveillance, Hossain said it was decided to establish more camps at the immigration check points across Bangladesh's borders apart from alerting the airport and seaport officials.

    The government will also conduct more training courses very shortly for nurses, doctors and officials concerned with support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), he said.

    Regarding medicine stock, Hossain said the government has already procured 2.9 million antiviral Oseltamivir capsules as part of its vast preparation.

    He said WHO has also provided Bangladesh 2.4 million Oseltamivir capsules.

    Bangladesh's health department on June 18 confirmed the first A/H1N1 flu case while the first domestic transmission of A/H1N1 flu was found one week later on June 25. There are 12 domestic transmitted cases out of the total 36 cases.

    The government since June started to test inbound passengers at the different international airports, seaport and land ports.

Special Report:  World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu