Bhubaneswar: Frequent weather changes in monsoon have led to a surge in cases of viral fever, cough, cold, waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and respiratory infections among children, with paediatric departments across hospitals reporting higher patient inflow than usual. Many hospitals have reported at least 40% more patient footfall in paediatric OPDs over the last week.Doctors have advised parents to maintain hygiene, ensure proper nutrition and seek timely medical attention. The health and family welfare department has also appealed to the public to follow basic hygiene practices to prevent infections.Subhrant Bal, a resident of Patia, said his 12-year-old son had been suffering from viral fever and diarrhoea for the past two days. “I have consulted a doctor. The diarrhoea is draining the child. I have stopped giving him any outside food now,” he said.Odisha’s premier children’s hospital, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (SVPPGIP), popularly known as Sishu Bhawan in Cuttack, has witnessed a sharp rise in patient inflow over the past week. Daily attendance has increased from the usual 500-600 children to around 800, official sources said.Superintendent of SVPPGIP and professor of paediatrics, Dr Sunil Kumar Agarwalla, said vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, as well as viral fever, common cold, flu and respiratory infections, are common during the monsoon. “Children also contract waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid and jaundice, when they come in contact with contaminated water. We advise parents to ensure that children wash their hands before eating,” he said.He also advised parents against using over-the-counter medicines, especially antibiotics, without consulting a doctor. “Sometimes people use combination drugs to treat their children without knowing much about the disease or the impact of the medicine. I request parents to give medicines to their children only after consulting a physician,” he said.Professor of paediatrics at a private medical college in Bhubaneswar, Dr Nirmal Kumar Mohakud, said he is receiving 35% to 40% more patients than usual. “The influenza virus is playing a major role in making children sick during the monsoon. Queues at OPDs are longer than on normal days,” he said.Another paediatrician at a corporate hospital, Dr Arakhita Swain, said continuous rain and weather fluctuations have created favourable conditions for viruses that affect children. “In most cases, children recover within five to seven days, but some develop complications due to low immunity or other health conditions,” he said, adding he is also seeing around 40% more patients in his OPD than usual. “Apart from handwashing, parents should focus on children’s nutrition, and avoid unhealthy and street food during the monsoon,” he said.
