Marked drop in temperature, hospitals see huge patient rush

Guntur: With winter temperatures dipping rapidly, children and elderly people are increasingly taking ill. Paediatric consultants are handling a huge rush at their clinics and hospitals. The Government General Hospital (GGH) too is witnessing a huge flow of patients suffering from pneumonia, asthma, cold or fevers.

A chilly winter has returned to the district after 3-4 years. The sudden change in the weather conditions is affecting people, said senior chest physician of GGH, Dr S Raghu.

Weather experts admit that the present climatic conditions are not common to the region. These conditions are posing health problems, especially for children, people suffering with anaemia, and senior citizens.

According to analysts, there is nearly 30 per cent jump in pneumonia cases in the past one month. A senior medical officer, said: “GGH itself is receiving 10-15 infants with pneumonia, and about 10 cases from the elderly every day. It means that 300-450 children visited GGH in the past 30 days.”

Senior surgeon Dr G Vijaya Saradhi said, “People routinely ignore common cold. In some cases, if not treated for long, it might turn fatal.” He suggested people to get medical advice in all cases of cold.

A pulmonologist with Dr Ramesh Hospitals, Dr B Bala Bhaskara Rao, said viral infection of the upper respiratory tract result in headache, runny nose, cough, high fever, itchy eyes, sore throat, body aches, watery eyes. “Those with asthma, COPD, bronchitis will be affected the most,” he said.