Sri Lankan News - THE RISE OF THE VIRUSES
Updated - 28/6/2009 - DailyMirror.
Communicable diseases need not escalate as major health problems if the correct approaches are adapted in their management. For instance the basic step that should be followed at the first instance of suspicion of any communicable disease, be it diarrhoea, viral fever or an eye infection is the consultation of your family doctor or if he is not available any other qualified medical professional for his advice and guidance in identifying and managing the disease.
Preventing comm
unicable diseases
Do not panic. Follow the instructions of the doctor and if he advices, take the patient to hospital. You can keep away from communicable diseases by adopting sound practices in your personal hygiene and by keeping your home and its immediate environment clean and tidy.
The majority of communicable diseases can be treated with the least amount of medicine by taking simple therapeutic measures. Cleanliness, the consumption of proper food and the intake of adequate fluids (water) form the key components in the prevention of infections.
These are the basic instructions given by Deputy Director of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) Borella, Dr. Vijith Gunasekera. These recommendations can be applied to adults as well as children. Dr. Gunesekara told the Daily Mirror that the most common of communicable diseases are respiratory track infections, common viral flus, diarrhoea, viral diarrhoea, sore throats and ear aches. He said the simplest methods could help cure viral infections. "Patients tend to worry a lot. What’s important is that you observe the trend of whatever communicable disease that one may have and act accordingly."
Noteworthy increase in
communicable diseases
Dr. Gunasekara says that in the past the LRH treated some 150-200 patients with communicable diseases each day. Due to the current fever epidemic however, approximately 3000 patients seek treatment at the hospital. "About 1000 patients out of this category have fever and others have other viral disease," he said. The doctor stressed that there was no need to get hospital treatment unless a physician advised a patient to do so. "It is important to consult a qualified doctor. If the doctor advises a patient to seek hospital treatment or expects the patient to take prescribed medication, then one must adhere to that advice. However, having said that, if a patient has a communicable disease which is not serious in any way, it is important for the patient to rest at home. People often believe that the inconvenience in government hospitals is the lack of space. Although this is somewhat true this is not necessarily the biggest concern.”
"At present people are only concerned about the dengue and the ’A’ H1N1 viruses. But there are other communicable diseases that people should keep away from. Dengue was at its peak in May, but now we notice that the incidence of the disease is falling," he said before listing out the other common infectious diseases.
Infectious bowel diseases
Dr. Gunasekara says that one of the most common of communicable diseases is diarrhoea which is most often found amongst children. He says that on an average the hospital has about 100 diarrhoea patients each day. "What is necessary is good observation. We train mothers on how to prepare food, how the food should be served and fed to the child. We also offer advice regarding general hygiene. This is to ensure that the disease does not get worse," he said.
There is a special Diarrhoea Unit dealing with patients who are afflicted by bowel diseases at the LRH. Bowel diseases can be identified through their symptoms. "Loose motions, stomachaches, vomiting, dehydration and loss of appetite are the most common symptoms of diarrhoea. Having blood in the stools is a serious symptom," he said. He said that in the case of bowel disease what is most important is cleanliness. "It is important to wash your hands and maintain cleanliness in the home. This is especially important in the kitchen," he said.
Communicable respiratory
infections
Dr. Gunesekara says that other infectious diseases which are often found in children and adults alike affect the respiratory tract. Respiratory tract infections are caused by overcrowding in busy places such as the work place, the class room, and through public transport in trains and buses. Dr. Gunesekara said the symptoms of infections are easy to detect. “Coughs, a runny nose, difficulty in breathing and excessive phlegm are all indicative of a respiratory infection." he said. On a daily basis the LRH treats about 300-500 patients with respiratory infections.
"Dengue and Respiratory track infectious are very similar and as a result it is difficult to immediately detect what the disease is. Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) Director Dr. Anura Senanayake said, "The clinical attendance is six times more than what it used to be at the IDH. This must be due to the dengue epidemic that has claimed nearly 150 lives and infected some 11,000 by now. The ’A’ H1N1has created a fear psychosis among the people. However these are not the only transmissible diseases at the hospital. There are patients at the IDH with HIV/AIDS, chicken pox and also those with the common viral flu.”
The Infectious Diseases Hospital
The IDH in Angoda is the premier hospital in the country providing the best health care services to patients suffering from infectious diseases. Dr Senanayake said the hospital clinics are attended by some 10,000 patients every month out of whom around 500 patients are admitted to the IDH. At present there are 15 chicken pox patients, 7 HIV/AIDS patients and the rest are those with viral flu amounting to a total of 75 patients. “There are 4 female HIV/AIDS patients while the rest of the patients are males. One particular patient who was found to be HIV positive is from Melbourne, Australia.” he added,
A doctor at the hospital on condition of anonymity said he attended to a great number of patients on a daily basis. "It’s not the salary that motivates me to work, it’s because I really feel for these people," he said. This doctor further added that the number of people seeking treatment at fever clinics had increased enormously as the rate of infectious diseases had grown rapidly. He lamented that the equipment available at the hospital was most insufficient. "They provide people with expensive vehicles but they cannot provide us with basic necessities required at this hospital. It’s a sad situation,’ he said.
The patients
When the Daily Mirror spoke to some of the patients in the IDH we discovered that many of the patients had some type of communicable disease. Nazeem, a 16 year old boy from Wellampitiya has had fever and severe abdominal pains for well over two weeks. “When the pains started it was not so bad but later on, it got worse. When the pains got really bad I couldn’t even stand up," he said. The doctors at the hospital have not been capable to detect what Nazeem’s ailment was. However, they suspect that it’s a viral flu.
Piyumi, a resident of Kottikawa visits the IDH on a weekly basis. Ever since she suffered a fit, she has been getting severe headaches very often. "I don’t know what it is," her mother Priyadarshani said. "I used to take her to the Ragama Hospital but I bring her here now. They can’t say what the cause of it is, but I think she also has flu. But right now the situation is stable because she’s on medication.”
Jeevan Mandewela said that he hadbeen getting the flu on and off for a very long time. He has been visiting the hospital for over a month and that there had been no improvement in his condition. "The doctor said that it’s the flu but I’ve had it for a long time." he said.
Lalith Samarakoon said his daughter had a viral flu. What worries Lalith is that she has had the flu continually for a long time. “When she gets the flu she gets it badly. We’re very concerned about her," he said in a worried voice.
The detections
Meanwhile, Dr. Pabha Palihawadana, Director Government Epidemiology Unit said the Unit had detected 153 Japanese Encephalitis cases in 2009. The number of deaths from Leptospirosis was 26 by the end of 2008. The government is doing its utmost to control communicable diseases by way of awareness programmes, shramadanas to clean the environment and many media campaigns. "What we have observed is that the people in Sri Lanka with over 90% literacy rate and a good understanding of communicable diseases are not putting their knowledge into practice. This is disturbing and an obstacle to control vector borne diseases and communicable diseases," Dr. Palihawadana said concluding the interview.
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