Minister of Health: 19 seasonal flu cases, including 7 deaths

(IraqiNews.com) Health Minister Adela Hammoud announced Sunday that the number of seasonal influenza cases registered so far are 19 cases, indicating that 7 deaths occurred among those cases because of hospitals’ overdue review.

Health Committee in the Parliament confirmed the presence of cooperation with the Ministry of Health to provide the cure to the citizens.

Hammoud stated in a joint press conference with the Health Parliamentary Committee held in the House of Representatives and attended by IraqiNews.com, “Ministry of Health’s procedures to cope with the seasonal flu that spreads only in the winter have been discussed,” asserting that, “The registered seasonal flu cases in the ministry were diagnosed by the Central Health Laboratory in Baghdad; they are 19 cases.”

Hammoud added, “There are 7 deaths among those cases; they went to hospitals too late and in a very critical condition,” pointing out that, “The dead are from the provinces of Baghdad, Najaf, Maysan and two from Babylon.”

Hammoud warned of “non-registration of any case for more than a week,” pleading the citizens to head to the nearest hospitals if they show symptoms of normal influenza.