Hospitals sound alarm as child infections in Kashmir spike

Srinagar, May 1: Hospitals across Kashmir are witnessing a concerning surge in viral infections among children, making it a matter of concern for parents.

According to official data accessed by Greater Kashmir, SKIMS Pediatric OPD receives 30 to 40 cases of children with viral infections, including flu and cough.

CD Hospital and SMHS Hospital also received a large number of patients suffering from various infections.

The doctors said that infections like cough, running nose, fever, sore throat, and body aches and even pneumonia were common among children during this season.

Dr Javaid Kang, a paediatrician at SKIMS, told Greater Kashmir that there was a need for preventative measures, especially among children, to combat the spread of these infections.

He said that there was a necessity of teaching children hand hygiene and maintaining cleanliness, particularly in school environments where transmission can occur easily.

“It is the responsibility of both schools and parents to ensure a hygienic environment, maintaining distance, and taking precautions when children have symptoms of illness,” he said.  “If I have 100 patients in my OPD, almost 30 patients have respiratory infection.”

Dr Suhail Naik, Pediatrician at Children Hospital, Bemina, told Greater Kashmir that hygiene practices and wearing masks were the key to preventing the spread of viral infections.

He said that viral infections were common during this season and proper precautions could help mitigate their impact.

“Parents need to seek medical attention promptly if their children have severe symptoms like intractable coughing, high fever, or respiratory distress. We mostly see a surge in viral infections among children every year in this season. People need not to worry," Dr Naik said.

He said that there were other issues like conjunctivitis, viral respiratory tract infection, and viral diarrhoea.

“If people want to break the viral chain, they have to take all those precautions which were followed during COVID times. Washing hands multiple times in a day, cough etiquette, wearing a mask if somebody is sick at home are very important," Dr Naik said.

He said that if a child was ill, it was better to keep them home, let them rest, make them have a lot of fluids, and give them paracetamol.

The doctors said that parents should take their children to the hospital if there are some dangerous signs in children like intractable coughing, high-grade fever not controlled by paracetamol, developing respiratory embracement, and distress.