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This is an archive article published on February 20, 2023
Cases of respiratory infection on rise in Bengal, alert sounded
The district health officials have been asked to take stock of oxygen equipment and paediatric ventilators.
“They have been asked to arrange additional paediatric beds for respiratory infection cases as and when necessary and refer such cases judiciously to tertiary facilities or Kolkata-based hospitals,” Niyogi said.
West Bengal has recorded a rise in cases of acute respiratory infection (viral), prompting the state Health Department to sound an alert.
The department has asked the chief medical officers of various districts to check preparedness to deal with the disease that is affecting children the most, it is learnt. Public and private hospitals in Kolkata and other districts are overflowing with children suffering from fever, cold and cough, officials said.
Of the 500 samples the Health Department had sent to the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) for testing in January, 32 per cent were found to have adenovirus, 12 per cent rhinovirus and 13 per cent parainfluenza virus.
“Every year, a seasonal increase in cases of acute respiratory infection (viral) is seen during late winter and early spring. The department is ready and equipped to handle the situation. But some directives have been issued as a measure of preparedness ,” said Dr Siddhartha Niyogi, a senior official of the Directorate of Health Service.
The district health officials have been asked to take stock of oxygen equipment and paediatric ventilators.
“They have been asked to arrange additional paediatric beds for respiratory infection cases as and when necessary and refer such cases judiciously to tertiary facilities or Kolkata-based hospitals,” Niyogi said.
Also, the department has appealed to people to avoid crowded places, wear masks in public places or when using public transport besides maintaining hand hygiene. Health officials have requested parents not to send ailing children to school and not to use antibiotics indiscriminately.
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On Saturday, the health department held a meeting at Swastha Bhavan to take stock of the situation, asking the officials to increase surveillance and monitoring. Sources in the department claimed that there was a shortage of paediatric beds in Kolkata. “If a child is sick, their respiratory rate should be monitored. Viral-panel tests are required to establish whether all those having the same symptoms are suffering from the virus or not,” said a senior paediatrician at a government hospital in Kolkata.
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