The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Spurt in viral fever cases

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 24, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Spurt in viral fever cases

Staff Reporter

Scores of harried parents flock Niloufer Hospital with their children

CAUSE FOR CONCERN: Women come out of the Niloufer Hospital after getting their children treated for viral fever. — Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Hyderabad: Eyes closed, little Arbaz writhes in pain as his mother cradles him. He is down with high temperature for the last few days. His distraught mother, Parveen, is in tears as she waits for her turn at the Niloufer Hospital.

"I have shown him to a local doctor at Nampally but the fever continues," she says. The agony of Laxmi is no different. She has brought her little son all the way from Gajwel in Medak district. The six-month-old baby too is down with fever.

`Nothing unusual'

Scores of harried parents are flocking the Niloufer Hospital, the premier children's hospital in the city, with complaints of high fever.

Doctors admit that there is a spurt in the cases of viral fever among children in the last few weeks but feel it is nothing unusual during this part of the year. The number of children admitted to the hospital every day hovers between 80 and 120 and an equal number gets discharged.

However, the occupancy rate on Tuesday was the highest at 729 against the bed strength of 350.

"There is nothing to worry as this is common during this season. So many people coming to the hospital shows that they have faith in Niloufer," said its superintendent, N.C.K. Reddy.

Increase in OP too

There is also an increase in the number of outpatients. "Most of the children are affected with viral and respiratory infection. This is very common during the rainy season," said C. Laxman Rao, Resident Medical Officer, Niloufer Hospital.

He said the coming winter season would also be bad for children, as they usually get afflicted with cold and lung infection. Niloufer Hospital apart, private nursing homes and clinics are also being flooded with children with viral fever.

In areas like Talab Katta, Moghalpura, Malakpet, Yakutpura the incidence of viral fever among kids is very pronounced. Almost every house has a child down with fever.

Residents attribute the malady to non-clearance of garbage dumps.

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