The city hasn’t even cured itself of the malaria outbreak, when it has been laid low by the perennial monsoon ailment of conjunctivitis or red eyes with a greater vengeance this year. And as the red eye afflicts hordes of people, and shows no sign of slowing down, doctors are working overtime to assuage the fears of another epidemic hitting the city.
G.T. Ambe, a health executive, sought to play down these fears, saying the situation is under control, and unlike swine flu or malaria, conjunctivitis can be tackled by the OPD wards. He says, “It usually affects people due to the moist weather, which is a result of the heat and the humidity.”
Dr Keiki Mehta, director of Mehta International Eye institute, also said that conjunctivitis isn’t a very severe disease, and it will soon pass. “There isn’t any need to quarantine oneself. Just avoid contact with people who suffer from the disease and stay away from crowded places,” he said, adding that the illness this year has been largely bacterial, which is good, as a viral infection could have been more dangerous.