Nagpur is witnessing sudden surge in cases of conjunctivitis -- the disease related to eye. Incidentally, at the same time, Government hospitals, especially the hospitals run by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) are facing shortage of eye drops required to prevent the disease. Every year, specific diseases rise during rainy season. Conjunctivitis or Pink Eye is one of those. People who suffer from this conjunctivitis know the sufferings associated with it. The Department of Public Health is supposed to keep the stock of medicines and other material ready with them considering the possible outbreak of seasonal diseases. NMC runs two major Urban Primary Health Centres -- Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya, Gandhi Nagar and the Hospital at Sadar -- where the needy and poor visit as they can’t afford private treatment. People prefer to go to nearby dispensaries run by NMC.

 

With increase in the number of patients suffering from conjunctivitis, they visit NMC dispensaries and come back without getting eye drops and antibiotics. Dr Narendra Bahirwar, Health Officer at NMC, said, “We don’t have Ophthalmology Department, so we have not stored eye drops at our hospitals. We have not put the demand for these eye drops in our list. This is a regular practice as needy people approach Ophthalmology Department at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH). There they get proper treatment. Such medicines cannot be distributed without proper advice by medicos.” Dr A H Madan, at the Department of Ophthalmology, GMCH, and Dr Gopal Arora, noted Ophthalmologist, admitted that there was a rise in the number of conjunctivitis cases. “More than 60% of patients visiting Outpatient Department (OPD) are suffering from conjunctivitis. This is absolutely not a life threatening disease, but since a delicate organ like the eye is involved, it is a matter of concern. Conjunctivitis requires immediate attention.

 

This eye condition usually lasts for 5 to 7 days considering the overall condition of patients,” Dr Gopal Arora pointed out. Dr Palak Kusumgar-Shah cautioned that as the cases of conjunctivitis were rising, when a child suffered from it, he or she should not be allowed to go to school for at least for 5 days to avoid its spread. “This disease gets spread through person to person, eye to eye. We should follow hand hygiene, avoid rubbing our eyes by hands, use sanitiser.” “Conjunctivitis is both viral and bacterial. On several occasions people visit pharmacy and get the eye drop on their own. This is a wrong practice. The conjunctivitis caused due to viral or bacterial infection, there are allergy connection. Patients become symptomatic, they can’t tolerate light. Conjunctivitis don’t lead to blindness but it may cause blurring of vision if proper care is not taken,” explained Dr Palak Kusumgar-Shah.