Viral fevers surge in Parvathipuram Manyam; hospitals overflowing, malaria cases rise among tribal students

PARVATHIPURAM MANYAM (Andhra Pradesh): Government hospitals in Andhra Pradesh’s Parvathipuram Manyam district are struggling to cope with a surge in viral fevers, with overcrowded wards and limited infrastructure posing major challenges for healthcare providers.

With the rising influx of patients, many government hospitals are operating beyond capacity. In several facilities, two to three patients are reportedly being treated on a single bed, raising concerns about hygiene and quality of care.

As the entire district is considered a tribal agency area, it has also reported a spike in malaria cases, particularly among students from tribal ashram school hostels. Health officials have confirmed that several children admitted with high fever have tested positive for malaria.

Although the Salur Area Government Hospital has been upgraded to a 100-bed facility, the new building is still under construction. As a result, the hospital is facing bed shortages and insufficient amenities, causing great inconvenience to patients.

According to hospital authorities, the Salur hospital is currently handling over 300 outpatients and has around 130 inpatients. With the monsoon season intensifying, the number of fever cases is expected to rise further. While medicines and basic facilities are available, the lack of adequate bed space remains a challenge.

Dr Gopal Rao, in-charge Medical Superintendent of the Salur Area Hospital, said, “The new 100-bed building is still under construction, and once completed, it will help improve the quality of healthcare services significantly.”

He urged authorities to expedite the construction so that better care can be provided to the public. Rao also outlined the challenges faced by the local health system, including fever, diarrhoea, and animal bites.

He said, “We currently have infection cases reported until the 30th of this month. Among them, there are 20 to 30 cases of fever. Due to a lack of proper drinking water, diarrhoea cases are also being reported — not only in the hospital but also in the surrounding villages.”

He further stated that there has been a slight decline in fever cases over the past few days, but the possibility of another spike remains, especially with infections continuing to spread within the community.

“Over the past 20 days, the number of fever cases was quite high, but recently there has been a slight decrease. However, there is still a possibility of a rise in cases due to infections spreading within the community. Similarly, diarrhoea cases continue to appear frequently.”

Alongside these, the hospital is dealing with several instances of animal-related injuries, particularly snake bites and dog bites.

“We are also encountering snake bites and dog bite cases. Dog bites are relatively common in our area, and we have ARV (Anti-Rabies Vaccine) and ASV (Anti-Snake Venom) available and accessible for such cases. Currently, we are running our presentation and operations in an old hospital building, where bathroom facilities are inadequate and pose a challenge,” Rao added.

He noted that operations are currently being conducted in the old hospital building, where inadequate sanitation facilities are compounding the challenges.

“Meanwhile, a new hospital building is under construction nearby. If we can manage to shift and operate from the new facility after its completion, we may be able to improve maintenance and service quality significantly,” he said. (ANI)