Times of India
06 July 2010
by Pratibha Masand
Mumbai, India

Nineteen–year–old Anushree Omble has been running a temperature for around five days. When high fever persisted even after the third day of self–medication, her family brought her to JJ Hospital and she has been admitted there for the past two days.

“All tests have been done and they are inconclusive. Her fever has gone down but she is still weak. Doctors say it is just fever,” said Anushree’s mother, a resident of Sewri.

Meanwhile, admitted in the same hospital, 32–year–old Farzan Sheikh, has malaria since last week. “I started getting fever with chills every night last week. As I know that the symptoms were serious, I went to the hospital to get myself checked. The doctors advised me to get admitted and after two days, the reports showed that I had malaria,” said Sheikh, a resident of Mohammed Ali road. Sheikh said his area was fumigated a few months ago.

TOI reported an increase in monsoon diseases on Monday and on that day itself, even with the bandh, the number of patients rushing to various city hospitals for treatment of monsoon–related diseases was quite high.

According to the data provided by civic officials, a total of 217 patients had fever and 82 were admitted to hospitals with malaria. Apart from these cases, 65 gastroenteritic patients were hospitalised and one case of leptospirosis was also reported. There were no cases of dengue and no deaths due to monsoon–related diseases.

However, more people have tested positive for swine flu. “Eleven people tested positive for H1N1 on Monday, out of which four were children. Seven people were given tamiflu and sent home,” said executive health commissioner Dr G T Ambe.