Delhi floods: Fever, diarrhoea & vomiting among displaced a concern

NEW DELHI: Cases of fever, diarrhoea and vomiting are emerging as some of the health concerns among people affected by the flooding of the Yamuna.
Cases of conjunctivitis, skin allergies and fever have been seen in camps set up for displaced people. Now that the water has receded and people are likely to return to their homes, there are chances that cases of infections might see a spurt.
“Children need to be careful while playing and avoid mud or areas where water remains stored.Usually in such situations, there is high chance of snake bites and other skin infections," Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Lok Nayak Hospital, said.
The health department has asked hospitals in the East district to keep an eye out for patients from flood-affected areas.
"We are seeing many children coming to us with vomiting and severe diarrhoea. There are around six flood-affected children admitted to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital. There are two adults who had to be kept in the hospital because of allergies and skin problems," Dr Kumar, who is currently also in charge of Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, said.
He added that two flood-affected patients were admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital as well — one adult and one minor.
At Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital, a ward has been designated for the displaced people. Disaster management wards have been set up at Swami Dayanand Hospital too.
Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also reviewed the stock of medicines for vector-borne diseases and urged the hospital administration to remain vigilant. “We are stocking up on testing kits, medicines, mosquito nets, ORS and antibiotics,” Dr Kumar said.
Private hospitals have so far not seen any spurt in cases of infection caused by water. “We are seeing a rise in dengue cases coming to the hospitals, which is definitely happening earlier this year as compared to previous years. Private hospitals catering to urban populations like ours have not seen a spurt of water-borne illnesses in the recent past, probably related to the availability of home water purification or the use of bottled drinking water," Dr Vineeta Taneja, director of internal medicine at Fortis Hospital, said.