Hyderabad: Schools and parents press panic button as dengue cases rise

HYDERABAD: The surge in dengue and other vector-borne diseases in the city has raised concerns among parents, leading to increased caution in schools. Over the past four weeks, the city has been grappling with a substantial rise in dengue cases, with GHMC reporting more than 50 new cases every day during its recent health camps.

From August 5-15, around 731 dengue cases were recorded across the city, highlighting the severity of the outbreak.

In response, schools have been actively urging parents to monitor their children for symptoms and to keep any symptomatic child at home to prevent their spread. "We have increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfection, especially in areas where students gather during recess," said Prabhavati B, principal of a prominent school in Secunderabad.

"Additionally, we've launched awareness programmes to educate students on the importance of maintaining hygiene and the risks associated with mosquito bites."

Parents, however, remain deeply concerned. "Even if my child is healthy, I'm worried about sending him to school with so many cases being reported," said Keerthana Rao, from Banjara Hills. "It's a tough decision between his education and his health."

The situation has been worsened by the recent heavy rains, due to which some parents are considering keeping their children at home this week.

"With the rise in cases and the rains expected to continue until the weekend, I just don't feel it's safe to send my child to school," said another parent from Himayatnagar. Doctors have also raised alarms about schools becoming hotspots for disease transmission.

Dr. V. Harsha Vardhan, a paediatrician, told DC, "In an environment where children are in close proximity with one another, the chances of the spread of infections are high. It's crucial that both parents and schools work together to prevent children with symptoms from attending school."

To combat the situation, GHMC said that it has intensified its anti-larval operations and fogging activities in the identified high-risk areas.

The corporation has also been conducting awareness programmes every Saturday across schools and colleges.

Despite these efforts, the recent surge has many parents calling for stricter measures, including temporary closures of schools that have reported many cases.