Hyderabad: Around 43,725 patients visited the out-patient departments of government hospitals in the state in the month of August, which is the highest in 2019 showing that the incidence of viral fevers and seasonal diseases in the state has been high.
Niloufer Children’s Hospital had 37,633 patients and Petlaburj maternity hospital had 11,000 out-patients in the month of August according to details revealed in an RTI filed by Kareem Ansari.
Viral fevers and seasonal diseases have ensured that every government and private hospital is full with patients.
The exact number of cases for seasonal diseases is still elusive but the number of patients who took tokens and got treated have been recorded by the medical and health department.
The highest number was recorded in the Fever Hospital, where most patients come. According to sources, there are only 10 doctors working full time in the hospital and due to the heavy rush of patients, post-graduate doctors from colleges have to be roped in.
In the month of July there were 29,383 out-patients in Fever Hospital and they have almost doubled in August to 43,725 patients. The hospital, which has 330 beds, had 1.037 in-patients in August and 1,079 in July. Two patients occupied each bed and some were treated on the floor.
Similar conditions were seen in the months of July and August in Niloufer Hospital where the bed capacity is 1,000 and the in-patients were 6,417.
The sheer numbers in these two major government hospitals explain the extent of viral fevers and seasonal diseases in the city and state.
A senior doctor at Niloufer Hospital says the number of patients on Mondays and Tuesdays is very high as not only people from the city, but also from different districts of the state come to the hospital. “These are cases that have gone to the area hospitals but they have either not been treated properly or the medicines given to them are not very effective. The cases this year have been at an all time high but the government is not willing to accept it,” the doctor said.
Of the 11,000 out-patient cases in Petlaburj Maternity Hospital, 2,000 new cases have been of mother and new born child and 649 have been new cases of children. The others are repeat old cases where they have the government card and are coming up for follow-up and small ailments.
So dire is the situation that the data analyst and the medical officer who handle the figures, have been told not to reveal the data to any other government official or to non-government organisations. The data is to be handled only by these two officials who have to report to the district medical and health officer. The officer reports to the higher authorities and all of them have been told not to speak to people about the situation in the state. The official version is that this is necessary to avoid panic among the people.
