Six dengue-stricken children admitted

Six young children are being treated for dengue fever at the hospital, presently.

Specialist at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IMGH) Dr. Ahmed Faisal revealed that there has been an increase in the number of cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, and that there has been a record high in daily consultations for the disease, at the hospital.

Stressing that six children have been admitted for treatment for Dengue fever, Dr. Faisal noted that some of them require blood transfusions as well.

The doctor added that since this is a life-threatening disease, the public needs to pay more heed to precautionary measures.

Dr. Faisal has advised patients to be carefully monitored within the first 48 hours on the onset of fever, as the dangers of dengue are heightened in the first 24 to 48 hours after fever subsides.

As such, patients need to be extra cautious for at least two days after fever subsides.

He added that if patients feel more exhausted after the fever subsides and develop other symptoms, they are urged to seek medical help without delay.

Further, Dr. Faisal has urged the people to avoid taking anything other than paracetamol for fever, as other medicines like Brufen can lead to other health issues.

It is important to focus on preventative measures to reduce mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue.

The authorities have given instructions on preventing these diseases by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants that reveal less skin as well as using mosquito repellent. Some home remedies for the diseases include drinking plenty of fluids, resting and refraining from taking medicine other than paracetamol for fever.

Some other precautionary measures that have been urged include regular hand washing and covering one’s nose and mouth when coughing to make sure that others don’t get infected.

It is advised for those who have a fever for three days or show other signs of dengue fever to seek medication treatment.

The public has also been urged to get rid of mosquito-breeding sites and take precautionary measures to control mosquito infestations.

During 2019, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) worked tirelessly to eliminate mosquito breeding sites like using insecticide and fogging machines due to a rise in dengue and chikungunya cases reported that year.

HPA also noted that dengue and influenza are two of the most dangerous among communicable and wide-spreading diseases. As such, dengue and influenza are two of the most conspicuous diseases among those that spread widely over the Maldives, due to adverse weather, and several other reasons.

Influenza and dengue outbreaks occur during rainy seasons every year across outlying atolls.