Pune: Respiratory viral infections hit children hard, paediatricians admit system under tremendous strain
The paediatricians across large hospitals in Maharashtra’s Pune city are under tremendous strain with a mix of respiratory viral infections having hit children hard.
There are growing concerns about not being able to find a hospital bed as several are inundated with the patients and there is a real fear that the more deserving lot of ill children may not get hospitalized treatment.
Noting a rise in re-infections, the doctors have urged the parents and schools to ensure that a sick child remains at home for at least ten days.
“There have been at least 100 paediatric group patients at our hospital since mid-July and it is difficult to find a hospital bed. We are worried that the critically ill child may not get a hospital bed and hence to break this cycle we are appealing to parents and schools to let children remain at home at least for seven to ten days if they are sick,” Dr Sachin Shah, Director of Paediatrics, Surya Mother and Child Hospital, Wakad, told The Indian Express.
Dr Umesh Vaidya, Senior Paediatrician and Regional Medical Director, Cloud Nine Hospital (West), has practically counted over 2,000 patients in the OPD since August 1.
“Febrile illness and respiratory disorders are high and it is very important to arrive at an accurate diagnosis at an early stage. We cannot do laboratory tests for every viral infection and similarly we cannot afford to miss small details. Hence, a clinical sense of judgement is also very important. For instance the family history also has to be taken if multiple family members are infected,” Dr Vaidya pointed out.
Dr Rajan Joshi, Head of Department of Paediatrics, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, said there has been tremendous strain since the last two months with the patients on the waiting list for admission.
Several doctors admitted there have been several challenges and the hospitals have been trying to help each other by accommodating some patients, who need admission.
Dr Sanjay Lalwani, Medical Director of Bharati Hospital, said that the student population was at home because of the Covid-19 pandemic, adding the reopening of schools has now also coincided with the rainy season where humidity levels are high and there are extremes of temperature.
Dr Lalwani further said the viruses thrive in such a situation.
“Daily we have been sending swabs of 10-15 children admitted to the hospital to the Indian Council of Medical Research- National Institute of Virology and at least one-third are positive for A (H1N1) virus (swine flu). Covid is not being seen. We are also finding children with the contagious Hand-Foot-Mouth-Disease, rhino virus and dengue,” Dr Lalwani said.
“We are also observing that once the child recovers in four to five days, he /she is back again in the OPD after ten days. Hence, there has been a mix of viral fevers,” he added.
Dr Aarti Kinikar, the chairperson of Pune Paediatric Covid Task Force at Sassoon General Hospital, said that compared to Covid there were different types of respiratory viruses that were prevailing including A (H1N1) virus.
“While some are self-limiting, since Sassoon General Hospital is a large tertiary care one, critically ill patients are also referred here,” Dr Kinikar said.
Dr Pramod Jog, former national president of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, said it was likely that children had not developed immunity against influenza as they were homebound during the Covid pandemic.
“Differential diagnosis is important as we are also seeing back to back infections with the same child reporting to the OPD after recovering,” Dr Jog added.
25 deaths due to A (H1N1) virus (swine flu); 11 are Pune residents
Twenty-five deaths have been reported due to A (H1N1) virus (swine flu) across hospitals in Pune, and according to Dr Sanjeev Wavare, Assistant health chief, Pune Municipal Corporation, 11 persons were residents of Pune. The remaining 14 deaths were of people who were from outside the city but had sought treatment here. “Cases of swine flu are high among senior citizens. We are monitoring each case, be it the paediatric or adult population. From January till August 23 this year, more than 8268 persons with symptoms have been screened for swine flu. Swabs of 4109 persons were sent for tests and 617 were positive with swine flu fever,” Dr Wavare said.
