Temperatures are exceeding 35⁰C on a daily basis in most parts of the country and doctors have already begun to caution against dehydration, the most common problem during summer in India.
“A permanent state of water scarcity in rural areas is one of the main reasons for these summer diseases”, says doctor Anurag Mishra, from East Delhi. “Every year we get several cases of stomach infections in the summer season, due to water. However, on a whole there are lesser number of infections during summer in India as compared to the winter months”, he adds.
Ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers and biting flies are among other scourges of summer. Media reports say many clinics in Coimbatore are reporting at least one to two chicken pox, measles and dengue cases in a day. Urinary tract infection (UTI) in women, due to dehydration are also being reported.
On the other hand, hospitals in Raipur city in Chhattisgarh are reporting six to seven cases of gastroenteritis and one to two cases of jaundice daily.
According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorological Division in India, temperatures will only rise as we step into thick of summer. “Maximums in most places of Central and South India are already nearing or touching 40⁰C. This sharp rise in temperatures may only increase health troubles and stress fpr doctors”, says G.P Sharma of Skymet Meteorological Division.
Nearly 50,000 people fell sick, leading to five deaths, in first six months of 2013 due to diseases like diarrhoea and gastroenteritis.
According to a report by News Week, global warming is leading to rise in temperatures, which in turn has lead to potential increase in malaria cases worldwide. Malaria claimed 627,000 lives globally in 2012.
Photo by indiaspend.