Swine Flu scare in Hyderabad

There are a countless number of people in Hyderabad and in other well-populated areas in India who seem to have caught the Swine flu scare. The H1N1 influenza strain has not only contributed to extra health checks in airports but also major shopping malls are also cautiously checking for the infamous strain. In fact, many citizens have gotten into the habit of wearing regular surgical masks in order to reduce the risk of getting the illness. On the other hand, confirmed swine flu cases wear masks called the 'n-95'. This mask has three layers which gives utmost protection to the mask wearers from outside.

In fact, I saw a man selling thin surgical masks on a flyover near my house. People are simply terrified and feel like a thin surgical mask will protect them from the swine flu that has many ways of spreading. Private companies across the nation are trying to cash in on this scare by advertising products that claim to somehow control the virus.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Aditya Hospital holds several preterm babies as well as newborns that may have certain health problems.
The experience I had in this particular intensive care unit was simply unbelievable. The babies that were put within their beds were only 24 to 48 hours old. I noticed the intravenous fluids they were being given were Calcium and Potassium mixtures in certain increments. I also noticed their feeding habits. Though they were only a day or two old, they seemed to know how to suckle when they were spoon fed. It was quite intriguing to see how the babies as small and young as they were, knew exactly how to suckle. The babies' had limited movement and they could not move their heads very much. I've heard that newborns have really poor eyesight which explains the glassy stare that they have....they don't see much. The newborn baby I held (as seen in the picture) was such a happy little baby. She was fed powder milk in 5ml increments.

Diseases derived from Water sources

The many children in the Pediatrics ward are suffering from a variety of tropical illnesses such as Dengue fever, hepatitis and viral infections. Dr. Archana, one of the main pediatricians at Aditya, explained that most of these diseases occur during this time (June to September) because of the heavy rains and the stagnant water that remains as the breeding ground for mosquitoes. She also mentioned many marriages take place during the summer and so there is food made in bulk in very unclean conditions. Hepatitis and dengue fever are mostly derived from mosquitoes and the viral infections are derived from the air pollution. Hepatitis can also be derived from blood transfusions which are common here because of anemia.
Anemia tends to be very common here because of lack of proper nutrition in food. Most of the populuation is Hindu and vegetarian so protein and key minerals are missing from the diet.

Day 1 in India

The day I landed in India, I felt compelled to change things. As soon as immigration was taken care of, all of us foreign visitors were directed to a couple of doctors and nurses who would check us for swine flu. As I was waiting in line, I saw a nurse checking the temperature of a man by putting an electric thermometer in his ear and she merely cleaned thet tip of the thermometer with some cotton. I was disgusted and ashamed. How can medical professionals merely clean a thermometer that has been used with cotton? Not even water was used. From this minor yet disgusting experience, I can say that one thing India has not moved forward on is sanitation. My disgust only increased as I hopped in a cab to get to my house which was an hour away. As we drove, I saw decaying and rusting shops and litter pretty much everywhere. Still standing puddles were infested with musquitoes and who knows what. The air was thick with pollution and humidity left from a monsoon shower earlier in the day. As if these things were not enough, people were openly spitting on to the streets and vehicles such as autos were open on the sides so if one were to spit nearby the passengers could unfortunate enough to get a little wet. Public health here had to change for the better. The only people that can change these conditions are the public. But the complication is that the public would have to be educated about cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation but they would not have the time nor the incentives to learn. I suppose life goes on no matter what.

General

I came to India for summer vacation and decided to shadow doctors to get a feel for medicine in India. Aditya Hospital in Hyderabad is a multi-speciality hospital that is known for its Pediatrics department. I've been stationed to shadow doctors in this ward for the time being. The shadowing involves the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)and PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit).
For more information, please visit http://www.adityahospital.com/about_us/overview.php.