Patients suffering from viral fever, mostly children below the age of 15 years, have flooded hospitals in the State capital amid incessant rains and weather changes affecting those with weaker immunity, doctors from leading hospitals in Ranchi said on Tuesday.
As per records available with the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), a majority of the patients admitted in the medicine ward of the hospital were suffering from viral infection, while there was a sudden rise in viral fever cases in the Paediatric ward. Besides, of the 26-odd patients admitted at Ranchi Sadar Hospital, over 100 were suffering from viral fever, doctors from the hospital said.
Associate Professor at the Paediatric Surgery Department at RIMS, Dr. Abhishek Ranjan said that the number of children suffering from viral infections was much higher this year than earlier years. The reason for this rise in cases of fever among children, he said, could be the fact that most children stayed indoors during the Covid-19 pandemic and did not get exposed to the outer world.
“Cases of fever among children during monsoon this year have increased in comparison to last couple of years,” said Dr. Ranjan, adding that more than 100 children were undergoing treatment at the paediatric ward at RIMS on Tuesday.
Civil Surgeon Dr. Vinod Kumar admitted that hospitals were experiencing a sudden rush of patients suffering from viral fever. He said that the change in weather and a prolonged monsoon were contributing to the rise in such diseases. “There has been a rise in cases of viral fever among children as well as adults. This is common during monsoon, but the number of cases is on the higher side this year,” said the Civil Surgeon.
No patients suffering from dengue or malaria were undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital on Tuesday, while about four patients admitted for treatment of typhoid were discharged recently, doctors said.
However, the rise in cases of viral fever among children was a growing concern amid the fear of a possible third wave of Covid-19, which may have a higher impact on children.
The Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and Community Healthcare Centres (CHCs), mostly located in rural areas of Ranchi, have also reported a spike in cases of viral fever. A Multipurpose Worker at Silli PHC said that there were no cases of malaria or dengue at the hospital, but patients of viral fever were visiting the healthcare facility every day.