In a scathing article ' The swine flu and the cuckoo's nest ' in the Times of India yesterday one Bharat Kewalramani pointed out the callous stupidity of politicians and kleptocrats in India. His daughter had flu and tested positive for Influenza A at a private hospital at which point she was referred to the only government hospital authorised to test for H1N1 in entire Mumbai. The article is logical and although seething with fury is well written. As physicians we have not been given any guidelines to follow in a suspected case of swine flu. Problem is that the monsoon season is the time for seasonal human flu anyway and I am seeing at least 10 cases of flu everyday. Clearly every patient cannot be screened for H1N1, which is said to cost Rs. 10000, as it would be an impossible financial to bear for the government. In any event the government has not allowed public sale of osseltamivir because the rich will buy up all available stocks leaving nothing for the poor. In any event the poor will not be able afford the tests and the cost of ten tablets at Rs. 1000. It would be cheaper to vaccinate the entire population against seasonal human flu. Rich people will pay for the vaccine from private doctors while the poor can queue up at government dipensaries for free shots. If seasonal human flu is eliminated then any patient with flu like symptoms may be tested for H1N1. Unfortunately in India policy is decided not by politicians but by criminal politicians and chamcha kleptocrats.