The Punjab government notified swine flu (H1N1) under the Epidemic Disease Act. The notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department said all hospitals (government as well as private) will have to inform the Department of Health about a case of ILI (Influenza like Illness) having chronic diseases, so that such cases are treated at the earliest and proper guidelines of the government is followed.

• All hospitals will have to keep a suspected as well as confirmed case of swine flu in isolation in order to contain the spread of the disease. All hospitals will have to inform the Health department in case a suspected or confirmed case of swine flu is reported, Health and Family Welfare department.
• The treatment of swine flu is provided free of cost to all the patients as recommended by the Government.
• All private and Government hospitals will have to abide to this notification.
• The committee observed that patients of swine flu who were having other chronic diseases had high mortality rate as compared to patients not having chronic diseases.
• It was also observed that patients who were treated by private doctors were referred to the higher centres only when they become critical thus increasing the death rate.

Epidemc Disease Act

• An Act to provide for the better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic disease.
• This act also called as Epidemic Disease Act, 1897.
• Under it Central Government can take Precautions step to remove threatening epidemic disease.