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New licensing option: POST all or part of this article on a web site, intranet or blog.

N.L. to review province's handling of H1N1

Last Updated: Monday, November 9, 2009 | 6:20 PM NT

CBC News

Central Health CEO Karen McGrath confirmed Monday that another central Newfoundland resident died from flu-related illness. (CBC)

Newfoundland and Labrador's health minister has asked all four of the province's regional health authorities to review how they've handled the swine flu outbreak after announcing the province's fifth flu-related death Monday.

"To determine if there are any gaps in our services being provided," said Jerome Kennedy. "If there are any steps being taken that can be improved or if there have been any mistakes made."

Four of the five people who died were residents of central Newfoundland. One lived in western Newfoundland.

The CEO of the health authority responsible for the central Newfoundland area agrees a review is necessary.

"We do believe that we have to be looking at these deaths and these circumstances," said Karen McGrath.

She says the review will also look at the care given to the people who died to see if there is anything that could have been done better.

"It would certainly involve from the time the person presented at the site in which they presented, through their care in the intensive care unit, if that was relevant, to their death," said McGrath.

Central Health does not know when results of the review will be available.

On Monday, 26 people were being treated for swine flu in hospital in central Newfoundland. Two of those patients were on ventilators.

Vaccination against the H1N1 influenza A virus that causes swine flu is currently underway in the province for the following groups:

Hospital in-patients less than 65 years of age with one or more chronic health conditions.
School-age children from kindergarten to Grade 3.
Individuals age 25 to 40 with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cystic fibrosis.
Individuals undergoing active cancer treatment and transplant patients (including pre-transplant patients on a wait list and post-transplant patients in the last two years).

New licensing option: POST all or part of this article on a web site, intranet or blog.

Internal Links

H1N1-related deaths climb to 5 in N.L.
N.L. expands flu shot eligibility list

External Links

Eastern Health Nov.9 news release on immunization criteria

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