Tamiflu touches down in Kiev

A plane carrying 300,000 doses of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu has arrived in Kiev.

The medicine was ordered from Switzerland by Ukraine’s health ministry to distribute to people suffering from the H1N1 swine flu strain.

The country’s Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was there to oversee the unloading operation.

“This medicine is Tamiflu. I have it in my hands now. This medicine is purchased by the government of the Ukraine, the health minsitry and has been delivered in a quantity of 300,000 doses,” she said.

Ukraine confirmed its first four deaths from H1N1 swine flu last week. Health officials are considering a nationwide quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus.

Schools have been closed and all public events banned for a three-week period.

Health ministry officials admitted at least four of 30 deaths in western Ukraine since mid-October which had been attributed to flu and pneumonia, were in fact caused by the H1N1 strain, commonly known as swine flu.

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tags: Ukraine