AGRA: Government hospitals in Agra and three neighbouring districts are reeling under a severe shortage of beds after a drastic spike in cases of viral fever in the region. In the last two weeks alone, at least 25 patients have succumbed to the viral infection in government facilities in Agra, Firozabad, Mathura and Mainpuri districts.
In several hospitals, two to three patients are being forced to share a single bed. The Firozabad district hospital had no vacant beds on Wednesday. Neelam Devi, whose three-year-old child was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of viral fever, said there was also a lack of doctors and medical staff at the children’s ward.
Chief medical superintendent of Firozabad medical college, Dr Hansraj Singh, told TOI that additional beds were being added to the general ward while the number of beds in the children's ward had been increased to 75 from 20.
Community health centres have also run out of medicines, according to residents of rural areas in the four districts. Chief medical officer of Agra district, Dr Arun Kumar Srivastava, told TOI that teams of doctors are being sent to affected villages to distribute medicines. “Change in weather conditions has resulted in the outbreak of viral fever. Teams of doctors and health staffers have been tasked to provide required assistance in rural areas.”
Doctors told TOI that the incidences of viral fever — and even its intensity — were higher this season when compared with the corresponding period in previous years.
Dr Saubhagya Katiyar, who practises at a government hospital in Shahjahanpur district, said over 70% of the patients arriving at the outpatient department in their facility were suffering from viral fever. “Symptoms of viral fever include body and muscle pain, headache, joint pain, redness of eyes, skin rash and nasal congestion. Some also experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. This time, the symptoms of viral fever are more intense compared with previous years.”
Vimal Mohan, a resident of Tiwaha village under Agra's Fatehabad block, also claimed that there was not a single house in the hamlet without a patient. “At least 20 people from my village have been admitted to a hospital in Agra in the last 24 hours. Two patients died last week. A team of doctors visited us on Sunday and provided medicines. But many are suffering since there is no arrangement to admit them at the community health centre and hospitals in the city are now full.”
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