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Hindustan Times
03-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Evening fever OPDs to tackle surge in monsoon illnesses
MUMBAI: With the onset of monsoon showers, Mumbai's civic-run hospitals are witnessing a sharp spike in cases of viral fever, influenza and other seasonal infections. To manage the growing patient load and offer timely care, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched evening Fever Outpatient Departments (Fever OPDs) at its major hospitals. The initiative aims to provide quick screening, reduce crowding in general OPDs, and improve access to healthcare for the city's working population. The evening Fever OPD at Nair Hospital is already operational, while Sion Hospital will begin services from June 7. KEM Hospital is expected to follow shortly, and Cooper Hospital will start its Fever OPD within a week. These clinics will function daily from 4pm to 8pm, a decision aimed at benefiting office-goers and workers who are unable to visit hospitals during regular working hours. 'Evening OPDs allow patients to seek timely care without compromising their work or income. They also help ease the daytime crowd in our hospitals,' a senior BMC health official said. The initiative comes amid an unusually early surge in seasonal illnesses. The sudden onset of the monsoon, coupled with fluctuating temperatures and high humidity, has led to a rise in both respiratory and vector-borne infections across the city. HT had reported that major hospitals have reported a 20–30% increase in such cases, well ahead of the usual June-July peak. Dr Kirti Sabnis, infectious disease specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, confirmed the trend. 'Nearly 20–25% of our OPD patients are currently presenting with cough, cold or flu-like symptoms,' she said. 'These are classic monsoon-related respiratory infections, including mild Covid-19 cases, and they're appearing earlier than expected due to premature rains.' Dr Mohan Joshi, dean of Sion Hospital, said the evening OPDs are essential to contain the spread of these illnesses. 'Every monsoon, we face a sharp rise in cases presenting with fever—ranging from viral infections to serious conditions such as dengue or leptospirosis. Evening OPDs allow us to reach a wider section of society and provide early diagnosis and treatment before symptoms worsen,' he said. Dr Shailesh Mohite, dean of Nair Hospital, added that dedicated fever clinics help streamline patient flow and minimise risk. 'Segregating fever patients from general OPDs prevents overcrowding and limits cross-infection within hospital premises,' he said. Doctors at the fever OPDs will screen patients showing symptoms such as fever, body ache, sore throat or rashes. Suspected cases of dengue, malaria and leptospirosis will be referred for further testing and treatment. The BMC has also intensified its anti-dengue drive. Between January and May 2025, civic workers identified 25,169 mosquito breeding sites across the city. So far, 2,292 buildings and 2.72 million slum units been fumigated. In comparison, the entire year of 2024 saw 590,000 buildings and 790,000 slum units being fumigated—signalling an aggressive early intervention this year. Doctors are urging citizens not to ignore persistent fever or flu-like symptoms and avoid self-medication. High-risk groups, such as children, senior citizens and those with comorbidities, are advised to seek prompt medical consultation. With heavy rains expected in the coming weeks, BMC officials say the launch of evening Fever OPDs will be a critical tool in Mumbai's fight against monsoon-related health risks.
Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Early rains cause surge in monsoon illnesses
MUMBAI: The early onset of the monsoon and sudden shifts in temperature and high humidity have together triggered a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses and mosquito-borne infections across Mumbai. Major hospitals report a 20-30% increase in seasonal ailments, weeks ahead of the usual June-July surge. Dr Kirti Sabnis, infectious disease specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, confirmed a growing number of patients with respiratory complaints. 'Nearly 20-25% of our out-patients are currently presenting with cough, cold or flu-like symptoms,' she said. 'These are typical monsoon-related respiratory viruses, including mild Covid cases, and are showing up earlier due to the premature rains.' The situation appears more severe at some hospitals. Dr Dhiraj Bhattad, consultant in internal medicine at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Charni Road, said nearly 50% of his current patients are presenting with flu-like symptoms. 'We saw the initial rise even before the rains arrived, but the early monsoon has clearly accelerated the surge,' he said. Dr Bhattad noted that along with respiratory infections, vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya are also appearing earlier than expected. 'We are routinely screening patients with fever for dengue and malaria now—tests we typically reserved for later months,' he added. The shift is largely attributed to early water stagnation and poor sanitation in construction zones, ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. All age groups are being affected but working adults aged 18 to 60 seem to be most vulnerable. 'They are the ones traveling daily and coming in contact with larger populations,' said Dr Bhattad. Vulnerable groups like the elderly, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals, remain at heightened risk, particularly for severe complications. Meanwhile, official sources in the health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) report that an average of 10 cases of dengue and malaria are being reported daily from high-density zones such as Matunga east, Parel, Bandra and several slum clusters. The rise in infections is not limited to vector-borne illnesses. Dr Manjusha Agarwal, senior consultant, internal medicine, Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, noted a concurrent increase in stomach infections such as typhoid and gastroenteritis. 'The monsoon leads to water contamination, and we're seeing early signs of that as well,' she said. Doctors continue to caution the public about the difficulty in clinically distinguishing the flu from Covid-19. 'Both illnesses present with fever, cough, sore throat and body ache,' said Dr Sabnis. 'Loss of taste or smell may indicate Covid, but we rely on PCR or multiplex viral testing to confirm.' Interestingly, while Covid cases are surfacing again, the symptoms appear mild. 'This could be due to vaccination coverage,' said Dr Bhattad. 'Ironically, we're now seeing stronger symptom intensity in flu cases than Covid.' He said comparative data from previous years shows a 20-25% rise in overall monsoon-related illnesses. 'We usually see dengue and malaria rise after June but, this year, it's already here. With ongoing redevelopment and stagnant water across the city, these infections may persist for months.' Dr Vimal Pahuja from Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, summed it up: 'The early rains have essentially stretched our infection window. We are looking at four to five months of sustained respiratory and vector-borne disease management.' Meanwhile, the emergence of dengue cases within KEM Hospital, one of the city's busiest tertiary care centres, has raised concerns. According to sources at the hospital, two medical students residing in the nurses' quarters and one staff nurse have tested positive for dengue. Civic officials say fumigation and vector-control measures have intensified across the hospital. 'The presence of dengue infections from within a civic hospital speaks to the scale of the problem,' said a senior BMC official. 'We cannot afford any lapses in high-risk zones like hospitals, where both patients and healthcare staff are already vulnerable.'
Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
IMD's red alert for extreme rainfall in Kerala, schools closed; thunderstorm warning for Delhi today
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of widespread thunderstorms with gusty winds over several parts of northwest India in the next four to five days as the annual southwest monsoon advances over most parts of the country. According to the Met department, this is due to an upper air cyclonic circulation currently lying over west Rajasthan and another over the northern parts of central Uttar Pradesh. The IMD has predicted that heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in Kerala over the next three-four days. The Met Centre has also issued a red alert for rainfall for eight districts of Kerala. The IMD has predicted scattered to fairly widespread light-to-moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorm and gusty winds, is likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Isolated to scattered rainfall is expected over Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan till June 2. Isolated heavy rainfall is also likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad on May 30 and 31. The Met department has also issued a red alert for rainfall for eight districts of Kerala, including Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kozhikode. An orange alert of rainfall has been issued for six districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Thrissur. Meanwhile, in view of the continued heavy rainfall, district administrations across Kerala have declared a holiday for all educational institutions in several districts on May 30. In Idukki, Night-time travel has been prohibited in the high-range areas from 7pm to 6am. Parts of Delhi received light showers on Thursday evening, bringing little respite from the hot and humid weather. The IMD has issued an orange alert for lightning, thunderstorms and squall in Delhi for May 30. The city on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius, 2.4 notches above the season's average. The IMD has predicted thunderstorms to occur in parts of Andhra Pradesh for three days from May 29 to 31. The thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with speeds up to 50 km per hour, in isolated places of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) and Rayalaseema. Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms is likely in some parts of Rajasthan over the next two days, the meteorological department said on Thursday. The department has predicted the possibility of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms in some parts of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ajmer and Jaipur divisions over the next two days. The early onset of the monsoon and sudden shifts in temperature and high humidity have together triggered a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses and mosquito-borne infections across Mumbai. Major hospitals report a 20-30% increase in seasonal ailments, weeks ahead of the usual June-July surge. Dr Kirti Sabnis, infectious disease specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, confirmed a growing number of patients with respiratory complaints. (With PTI and ANI inputs)
