Leading health service provider Apollo Hospitals on Tuesday announced it was ready to assist the Centre in setting up swine flu testing centres across the country to combat the pandemic after obtaining permission from the authorities concerned. "Our Hyderabad division has already announced that it is ready. The Delhi unit will be announcing its decision within four or five days. Today we have also taken a decision in Chennai and it would be also ready in few days",Apollo Hospitals Group chairman Prathap C Reddy told reporters. "We will be getting all necessary equipment and medicines from the government shortly",he said. The announcement comes a day after the government said a meeting would be held with private hospitals on Aug 27 to try and rope them to treat those who have tested positive for the H1N1 virus. Reddy said Apollo hospitals have set up 150 medical teams across India,which would visit various schools,colleges and associations to help spread awareness about the H1N1 virus,so that they could take precautionary measures. He pointed out that the Influenza mortality rate is higher than Swine flu and urged people not to panic.
