Gurgaon-based Medanta Hospital—ranked India’s Best Private Hospital by Newsweek for six consecutive years—recently hosted a Continuing Medical Education (CME) in Guwahati aimed at boosting paediatric critical care knowledge, particularly around respiratory illnesses. Organized in partnership with the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) Guwahati City Branch and IAP Intensive Care Chapter, Assam, the program was led by Medanta’s Dr Praveen Khilnani and Dr Rajiv Uttam.
Dr Khilnani emphasized the ABCDE (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure) protocol for managing paediatric emergencies and stressed the diagnostic importance of caregivers’ history. Dr Uttam chaired a panel discussion titled “Recent Surge of Viral and Atypical Pneumonia in India,” detailing threats from mycoplasma pneumonia, RSV, influenza and adenovirus—particularly in children under five. He highlighted the monsoon’s role in respiratory vulnerability and urged reinforcement of vaccination and nutritional strategies.
Healthcare providers and pharmacies are proactively ramping up inventory of paediatric respiratory treatments, including child-size nebulizers, antivirals and multivitamin supplements. Clinics are seeing an uptick in consultations for coughing, fever, and breathing issues, driven by heightened parental concern about viral infections during the monsoon. Demand for immunisation services and respiratory care training among local practitioners is gaining traction.
