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Viral and Typhoid Cases Surge Across Andhra Pradesh Hospitals
Many people in Andhra Pradesh have recently become sick with fever.
Doctors say viral fever and typhoid cases have increased during the past 15 days.
They think changing weather, rain and dirty drinking water may be contributing.
Clinics that usually see 40 to 50 patients a day are now seeing as many as 60 to 70.
Kurnool and YSR Kadapa are among the districts reporting many typhoid cases.
Government hospitals are crowded, and some patients have waited several hours.
Health officials say medicines are available across the state.
People have been advised to drink boiled water and seek care if fever continues or becomes worse.
Viral and typhoid fever cases have risen sharply across Andhra Pradesh over 15 days.
Doctors linked the increase to changing weather, rains and possible drinking-water contamination.
Primary health centres are reporting 60 to 70 daily patients, up from 40 to 50.
Kurnool and YSR Kadapa are among districts reporting high numbers of typhoid cases.
Officials say emergency medicines are available, while patients report long waits and some private hospital charges.
- Who
- Residents of several Andhra Pradesh districts, along with doctors, health officials and hospitals.
- What
- Viral fever and typhoid cases, outpatient visits and hospital pressure have increased.
- Where
- Across Andhra Pradesh, including Kurnool, YSR Kadapa, Rayalaseema, Krishna, Guntur and the Godavari districts.
- When
- Over the past 15 days; more than 2,500 outpatients were treated at Kurnool hospitals on Monday.
- Why
- Doctors attributed the rise to changing weather, rains and possible contamination of drinking water.
Patient Concerns
Officials and Providers
Medicine and treatment costs
Patient Concerns
Some patients alleged that private hospitals claimed their platelet counts had fallen and advised transfusions costing Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000.
Officials and Providers
APMSIDC general manager Sadhu Srinivas said emergency medicines, paracetamol and different antibiotics were available, with no shortage anywhere.
Access to care
Patient Concerns
Patients reported long waits at crowded government hospitals; one patient said she waited more than three hours to see a doctor and another two hours for medicines.
Officials and Providers
Government facilities and teaching hospitals are handling increased patient inflows, while officials say emergency medicines have been kept available across the state.
Cause of the increase
Patient Concerns
The reported rise has led to concerns about contaminated drinking water and water-borne infections.
Officials and Providers
Doctors attributed the increase to a combination of changing weather, rains and possible drinking-water contamination, rather than identifying one confirmed cause.
Key facts
- Reported increase
- Primary health centres normally seeing 40 to 50 patients daily are receiving 60 to 70 in several locations.
- High-reporting districts
- Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme data identify Kurnool and YSR Kadapa among districts reporting many typhoid cases.
- Kurnool patient load
- More than 2,500 outpatients were treated at hospitals in Kurnool on Monday.
- Local diagnosis
- A Kamalapuram urban primary health centre doctor said at least two of every 10 patients were being diagnosed with typhoid.
- Reported private charges
- Some patients said private hospitals charged Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 for advised platelet transfusions.
- Government response
- APMSIDC said emergency medicines, including paracetamol and different antibiotics, were available across the state.
- Public advice
- People were advised to drink boiled and cooled water and seek medical attention if fever persists or worsens.
Quotes
Dr M Munishekhar
Doctor at the Kamalapuram urban primary health centre in YSR Kadapa district
“I came from Kosigi with a fever and had to wait for more than three hours to see the doctor. When I went to collect medicines, I could not get them after waiting for two hours because of the huge crowd”
deccanchronicle.com
“Earlier, we used to receive around 40 patients a day, but now the number has crossed 60. At least two among every 10 patients are being diagnosed with typhoid”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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