Seasonal diseases grip erstwhile Karimnagar district

Seasonal diseases are spreading rapidly in Karimnagar district, with rising cases of dengue, malaria and typhoid. Hospitals are overcrowded, and private facilities are charging high fees. An eight-year-old girl reportedly died of dengue as health authorities launch a fever survey.

Karimnagar: Seasonal diseases are spreading rapidly across the erstwhile Karimnagar district, with people falling ill with dengue, malaria and typhoid. Both government and private hospitals are witnessing an alarming rise in patient numbers.

District headquarters hospitals, as well as primary and urban health centres, are seeing a heavy daily influx. Outpatient figures at Karimnagar district headquarters hospital alone have crossed 1,000. The sudden change in weather and mosquito breeding are cited as key reasons for the spike in cases. Water stagnation in residential areas has further fuelled mosquito breeding, exposing residents to vector-borne diseases.

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An eight-year-old girl, Sahasra from Thangallapalli mandal, reportedly died of dengue while undergoing treatment in a Hyderabad hospital on August 25. According to rough estimates, about 50 dengue cases have been reported in government hospitals across the district since January, while the numbers are believed to be higher in private facilities.

With little awareness of dengue symptoms, people in rural areas are first approaching RMPs and PMPs. When severe headache, fever and body pains persist without relief, they are forced to shift to district hospitals. Taking advantage of the situation, private hospitals are allegedly charging exorbitant fees. Patients are being billed Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 for two to three days of treatment, and up to Rs 1 lakh for a week’s care.

Meanwhile, the medical and health department has launched a fever survey. Health staff are visiting households, collecting blood samples from those with fever and advising families to take patients to primary health centres if high fever is detected.