Fever cases outnumber hosp beds, 30% rise in city

Lucknow: The ongoing hot and humid weather in the city has resulted in a 30% rise in fever cases, including dengue, viral infections, and malaria, over the past 15 days. Medical experts are urging people to take precautions against mosquito bites and maintain hygiene, while warning against self-medication. Timely and accurate diagnosis is key to effective treatment, they stress.
Outpatient departments in major hospitals such as SPM Civil, Balrampur, Lokbandhu, and King George's Medical University have witnessed a surge in daily cases, with numbers rising from 150 to around 200-210 since early September.
Dengue, which was nearly absent until mid-Aug, is now being recorded at a rate of 10-15 cases per day. Malaria is also on the rise, with 25-30 cases being reported daily across city hospitals.
To diagnose other diseases like malaria, chikungunya and typhoid, patient samples are being sent to the state lab for confirmation.
Many hospitals are running out of beds available. In some cases, patients are required to wait for admission due to overcrowding.
Humid conditions, combined with factors like mosquito proliferation, contaminated water and poor sanitation, are fuelling spread of diseases like dengue and typhoid.
Lokbandhu hospital medical superintendent Dr Ajay Sankar Tripathi, cautioned against overdose of antibiotics, highlighting danger of developing antimicrobial resistance. He emphasised preventive measures such as maintaining sanitation, controlling mosquito breeding and ensuring safe food and water.
Chief medical superintendent of Balrampur Hospital, Dr N B Singh, advised, "Prevention is key. Improve sanitation and hygiene, implement mosquito control measures for dengue and focus on safe food and water handling to prevent typhoid and bacterial infections."
SPM Civil hospital medical superintendent Dr Shiv Raj Singh said, "The fight against rising number of fever cases goes beyond individual precautions and requires a united community effort to improve sanitation, educate public on disease prevention, and ensure equitable access to healthcare resources for everyone."