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Gastrointestinal cases decline |
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Posted by Administrator
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Sunday, 22 July 2012 |
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Kathmandu: The only public hospital for tropical and infectious diseases, Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital (STIDH), is seeing scores of patients for treatment of diarrhoea and typhoid this monsoon. However, the number of patients has undergone a marked decline since last year. The number of patients with gastrointestinal infections, including diarrhoea and dysentery is 1,712 in 2011/12 and was 2,167 in 2010/11. Similarly, 176 patients were treated for typhoid and 35 for hepatitis in 2011/12, while 267 were treated for typhoid and 30 for hepatitis in 2010/11. However, instances of snakebites have increased from 209 cases to 284 in 2011/12.
Dr. Indra Prasad Prajapati, director of the Sukraraj Hospital, said the decrease in the number of patients implies that people have begun adopting a hygienic lifestyle. “Perhaps people have started drinking boiled water and avoiding stale foods. However, patients can also have started visiting many private hospitals and clinics that have opened up instead of coming to the government hospital,” Dr Prajapati said. Meanwhile, the STIDH discovered cholera in three patients from Kalimati, Tahachal and Teku area. Dr. Prajapati said that since the cases are from different areas, there is less chance of an epidemic.
The District Public Health Office (DPHO), Kathmandu has also started surveillance on patients with dysentery, diarrhoea and cholera in various area hospitals to get early warning of an epidemic. A group of doctors and health professionals under the DPHO also recently conducted a camp at Talku and Chhaimale, places that are reportedly seeing a rising number of diarrhoeal cases, said Mahendra Shrestha of the DPHO.
Source: The Kathmandu Post, July 20, 2012 |
