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October14
DR CHARYU NARAYAN, who trained in paediatrics
and neonatology in the UK, is now part of the
international team of GPs at CHI Health.
As a family doctor, how different is your workload in
Singapore, compared with the UK?
Interestingly, it has changed from mainly chronic disease
management in the UK to seeing more acute illness here,
both in adults and children. Viral illnesses – coughs, colds and
gastroenteritis – constitute the majority of issues at our clinic.
Other common illnesses are hand, foot and mouth disease
(HFMD) in younger children, and skin infections.
Children, including newborns, are seen for developmental
checks, concerns from parents and for routine as well as travel
vaccinations. A high fever in kids raises concern about dengue
and chikungunya – both mosquito-borne illnesses found in
Singapore. With in-house testing available at CHI, we are able
to speed up diagnosis and management.
Influenza circulates all year round and as families travel
frequently, it can be imported from their place of travel, as
can typhoid and malaria.
On another note, I also frequently come across psychological
issues and anxiety depression in children and adolescents.
The stress of moving away from the home country, adjustment
to new schools and a new culture may be responsible for
these conditions becoming manifest. I must mention seeing
a spectrum of eating disorders in teenage girls, too.
Which other childhood ailments that you see are
associated with living in the tropics?
Mycoplasma infection deserves a mention and presents with a
cough, mild fever and fatigue lasting longer than a usual cold.
Some people are able to fight off the infectionwithout medication
but I see children in whom the infection causes missed school
days and low levels of energy. This group may need a course of
antibiotics and follow up if they have a lung infection.
Parasitic infections and bacterial gastroenteritis cases
linked to food hygiene and sanitation are often seen following
holiday travel in the Subcontinent.
The absence of a winter in Singapore is a plus for asthmatic
children whose symptoms are worse in cold weather, but I’ve
observed that haze pollution triggers breathing problems in
children. Dust mites – a common allergen here – are also a
trigger.
What attracted you to paediatrics and neonatology
in the first place?
It’s a unique branch of medicine that requires interaction with
the child
and
the family. Even though it’s heartbreaking to
see children suffer, it’s also great to see them bounce back
after illness – and amazing to see them grow and develop
over the years.
As physical and psychological health are so closely
interwoven, a good rapport with one’s paediatric patients can
make all the difference in making them better. As a GP seeing
children in a private practice like CHI, I have more continuity
and contact with them than I would have as a hospital doctor,
and I find that personally satisfying.
CHI – Complete Healthcare International
45 Rochester Park
6776 2288 | chi-health.com.sg
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