Koshi seeing an alarming rise in conjunctivitis cases

By Koshi Province Bureau,Biratnagar, Aug. 6: Conjunctivitis has spread across the Koshi Province in the past few days. According to health authorities, the disease has spread in the province's Tarai, Hill and Himalayan regions.

Acute inflammation of the conjunctiva (a thin, clear/white membrane that protects the eye) is called conjunctivitis and is mainly caused by viruses, bacteria and allergens. According to the Department of Health Services (DoHS), acute conjunctivitis is usually a benign, self-limited condition or one that is easily treated.

However, the disease has affected people of all age groups, including children. Many schools have also given holidays as a majority of their students have red eyes.

Similarly, businesses across the province informed that the number of individuals visiting the market had decreased in the past few days.

Conjunctivitis in Taplejung, Okhaldhunga According to our Taplejung district correspondent, the majority of patients visiting health centres in the district with problems in their eyes were suffering from conjunctivitis.

Dechan Dongala Eye Care Centre of Taplejung informed that 36 per cent of the patients visiting the centre had red eyes. Around 40-45 patients are visiting the centre daily.

“The cases of conjunctivitis have been on the rise since the past week. More and more patients are arriving daily,” said Kajiman Gurung, in charge at the centre.

Gurung added, “Of the individuals suffering from conjunctivitis, the majority were also patients of influenza.” Likewise, our Okhaldhunga correspondent reported that the scenario was similar in the district as well.

“At least half-a-dozen patients with red eyes are visiting our health centre daily,” said Tika Rai, in charge of the district’s community eye centre.

Rai informed that the patients with conjunctivitis feel inflammation in the eye(s), increased tear production, sticking eyelid and an urge to rub the eye(s) among others. “It is why conjunctivitis patients do not prefer visiting outdoors,” said Rai.

Scenario severe in Tarai

Jhapa district is one of the hard-hit districts by conjunctivitis. While health centres across the district are crowded with individuals with red eye(s).

As the cases have increased in children, many schools have also given holidays for a few days. Ophthalmologists argue that physical contact should be limited by patients as it is highly communicable.

Two municipalities of Jhapa – Birtamod and Bhadrapur – have given a holiday until Monday following the rise in cases. 

“Many of the children in the schools are suffering from conjunctivitis. The disease is contagious, which is why the schools have been closed,” Bhadrapur Municipality’s education section informed.

A meeting between the local level representatives and school headmasters on Thursday had decided to close the schools on Sunday and Monday. Following the decision, several schools in Bhadrapur and Birtamod started the holiday on Friday itself.

“If some schools have no cases of conjunctivitis, they need not give a holiday,” said Raj Kumar Odari, chief of the education section of Bhadrapur. Jhapa district has some of the best eye hospitals in the country. Health authorities informed that the hospitals were crowded with cases of conjunctivitis.

“Around 500 patients with red eyes are visiting our hospital on a daily basis,” said Pushpa Adhikari, an ophthalmic technician at the Mechi Eye Hospital.

Similarly, Birtamod Eye Hospital’s ophthalmic technician Binod Dahal said that half of around 600 patients visiting the hospital were suffering from conjunctivitis.

Moreover, Kakadvitta-based Mechi Netralaya’s ophthalmic officer Yogendra Raut said that around 1,000 patients with conjunctivitis visited the health centre.

Hundreds of patients with conjunctivitis also visited the Eye Hospital of Kakadvitta, Divya Jyoti Eye Hospital, Drishti Eye Hospital, Bhadrapur-based Provincial Hospital and Birtamod-based B&C Hospital on a daily basis.

Nevertheless, a good portion of the patients with conjunctivitis visiting the eye centres of Jhapa were Indian nationals.

Safety measures

Ophthalmologists stressed that patients with conjunctivitis have a major role to play to prevent its spread.

According to them, individuals with red eye(s) should wash their hands often with soap and water, avoid touching or rubbing the inflamed eyes and clean any discharge with a clean and wet cloth.

Patients are also advised to not use public spaces such as swimming pools.

What’s more, individuals who are not suffering from the disease should not touch the belongings of those with conjunctivitis. 

Citing that there were different causes of conjunctivitis, eye health experts suggested using medicine, especially eye drops, only after consultation with an ophthalmologist.