Rautahat, March 30

The change in season has caused an outbreak of seasonal diseases in Rautahat district of late.

Mostly youths and children are suffering from seasonal diseases such as measles and chickenpox in the district though the diseases were said to have been eradicated from the country.

Local health professionals said the Ministry for Health and Population should take the matter seriously and bring the epidemic under control. They said the concerned authority should adopt preventive measures for timely control of viral diseases.

Heath workers said hundreds of patients suffering from seasonal diseases had visited the District Hospital, Chandranigahapur Hospital, Primary Health Centres at Samanpur, Katahariya, Rajpur Phardahawa, Maulapur and Area Health Posts at Shivanagar, Kheshreya and Phatuha Harshaha, among other health facilities in the district every day.

The residents of Chandrapur Municipality are said to have been worst hit by seasonal diseases. As many as seven members of Narendra Yadav’s family in Chandrapur Municipality are suffering from chickenpox.

Dr Subash Chaudhary, chief of Chandranigahapur Hospital, said more than five patients suffering from chickenpox and measles were coming to the hospital for treatment on a daily basis.

Health Assistant Prabin Jha at the emergency ward of the hospital said many such patients had also reached the district hospital for treatment. He informed that symptoms including fever, headache, weakness and dizziness, among others, were seen among patients.

Officer Duryodhan Prasad Chandrabanshi of DPHO, Rautahat, said chickenpox and measles were viral diseases. “We have sent necessary medicine to all the health centres of the district,” he informed. He added that there was no point in taking the diseases seriously as they were seasonal.