City hospitals struggle with rise in viral fever patients

Sitting on a bench at the outpatient department of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, two-year-old Shourav wailed in pain and discomfort as his mother tried to clam him down.
The situation was repetitive in the department where everyone seemed to be waiting in queue for a doctor to see them.
Shourav and his mother had been waiting since morning for admission at a general ward but there was no bed left at the hospital that has seen a surge in number of patients suffering from viral fever and colds.
The picture is the same in all public hospitals in the city as the number of patients has almost doubled due to spread of seasonal viral diseases.
Doctors at Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital and Shishu Hospital are struggling to manage the large number of patients thronging the hospitals every day.
Dr Monir Hossain, a physician at the DMCH outpatient department, told The Daily Star that the viral complaints start with the monsoons and last through to September.
Viral infection spreads mostly in crowded places like offices and classrooms, and patients will recover within a week, though fatigue might persist for a few weeks more.
The high humidity during monsoons creates a sustainable environment for the spread of viruses causing diseases as fever, colds, skin rashes, diarrhoea, etc Most of these diseases are accompanied by nausea, vomiting and severe aches in the body, coughs, etc.
While most of these symptoms do not necessarily mean infection, doctors are asking city dwellers to be cautious as these symptoms match those of dengue fever, also spreading in Dhaka.
If the temperature does not fall within two to three days, patients should be taken to a doctor, physicians advise.
Shahnur Akhter, a garments worker from Savar, said that Sishu Hospital staff had asked her to get her son admitted to a paying bed as all other beds were already taken.
"They asked me to bring Tk 5,000. Where am I to get that?" she wailed.
Many people at the outdoor department of the hospital had to return without getting any treatment. From an average number of 350-400 every day, the number of patients has shot up to around 600 now.
The paediatrics unit at the DMCH outpatient department is receiving around 400 patients each day, more than double its usual, more than half of the patients are suffering from such seasonal fevers and cold-related problems.
Anwara Begum from Munshirhat in Kamrangirchar had been waiting at DMCH with her one and half-year-old daughter since 9:00am. She had not got a serial to see a doctor even at 1:15pm.
DMCH sources said most of its patients come from Kamrangirchar, Hazaribagh and Lalbagh areas.
The number of patients at the outpatient department of Suhrawardy hospital has gone up to around 1,400 a day from 900 before.
"Each of the 10 doctors at the outdoor is attending to over 150 patients between 8:00am to 2:30pm," Prof Khadiza Begum, director of the hospital, told The Daily Star.
Doctors suggest taking Paracetamol for low temperature and body aches, and Paracetamol Suppositories to bring down high fever.
"Bed rest and adequate fluid as warm water, lemon water, juices and soups help in such cases," Dr Monir said. He also suggested taking juice of Tulsi leaf.
Toddlers should be breastfed as usual. When children sweat from fevers parents should let the sweat dry.
Other recommendations include sponging body with tepid water several times a day, gargling with warm salt water several times a day (for sore throats) and using nasal drops to help loosen mucus and moisten the nose skin.