Monklands Hospital at forefront of fight against swine flu

Apr 29 2009 by Gordon Robertson, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

MONKLANDS Hospital is in the front line of the battle to keep the deadly swine flu virus under control.

The first two confirmed victims of the killer disease in Britain are being treated in an isolation unit at the Airdrie hospital.

Swine flu is believed to have killed 150 people in Mexico where newly-wed couple Iain and Dawn Askham, from Polmont, near Falkirk, were on honeymoon.

It has spread from Central America to the USA and Canada and cases have been reported in Spain and other countries.

TV and press teams from across Britain flocked to Airdrie amid fears that the virus could rapidly spread.

NHS Lanarkshire confirmed that Monklands Hospital was well placed to cope with an outbreak of the disease after it was announced that seven more people were being tested for the flu.

A spokesman for NHS Lanarkshire said: “Monklands Hospital has a specialist isolation facility that is not available in Forth Valley (the local health board of the two confirmed cases), although there are other specialist facilities in Scotland.

“NHS Lanarkshire has a joint pandemic flu plan in place with North Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Council to ensure an effective and coordinated response to a pandemic.

“The plan includes arrangements to prepare for and cope with additional demand on Lanarkshire’s hospitals. Each hospital also has its own pandemic flu plan.

“The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland take the threat of a flu pandemic very seriously and have been working with partner organisations for a number of years to ensure that Scotland is in the best possible position to respond to a pandemic.”

Politicians lined up to reassure the community that all was being done to contain the spread of the virus in the UK.

Addressing the UK parliament, John Reid, the MP for Airdrie and Shotts, said: “The situation at Monklands is being dealt with by the Scottish Government. I have been in touch with local MSP, Karen Whitefield, and the minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who has acted with commendable speed.”

Health Secretary Ms Sturgeon said: “Governments across the world are being very vigilant.

“At the moment we have no evidence that the virus is in the wider community, although people will understand I obviously can’t rule that out.

“I would say in terms of reassurance that the one thing that I think everybody in the international community is taking encouragement from is that, outside of Mexico, anyone contracting this virus is displaying very mild symptoms and they tend to be recovering very quickly.”

The Foreign Office updated its travel advice to advise against all non essential travel to Mexico.

It led to yesterday’s (Tuesday) cancellation of two chartered holiday flights to the country, from Manchester and Gatwick, and the decision by holiday firm Thomas Cook to cancel holidays to Cancun for the next week.

The tour operator runs Scotland’s only direct flight to Mexico, a weekly charter to the affected city which flies from Glasgow each Monday.

The Foreign Office website said: “Cases of swine influenza have been reported in Mexico City and a number of other locations across the country.

“Travellers should consult a doctor immediately if they show signs of flu-like symptoms.”

Anyone with flu symptoms, who thinks they may have come into contact with the couple, should call NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24.

Have your holiday or honeymoon plans been affected by the health crisis in Mexico?

Call the Advertiser on 01236 748648.