Hospital equities rose significantly on Monday, January 6, in an otherwise sluggish market, after the Union Health Ministry verified the presence of three instances of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV). These patients are part of a nationwide surveillance program for respiratory infections.
The detections, which included two instances in Karnataka and one in Gujarat, came amid reports of a viral outbreak that has raised concerns in China.
Rainbow Children’s Medicare rose 4% to a day high of ₹1620, while Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences increased 3.4% to ₹649. Narayana Hrudayalaya rose 3.3% to ₹1,353.75. Apollo Hospital Enterprises and Aster DM Healthcare both added 2%.
The health ministry emphasized that HMPV is not a new infection and is currently circulating worldwide, including in India. Cases of HMPV have been recorded in a number of countries, although no significant increase in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases has been observed in India, according to current ICMR and Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) data.
The ministry stated that it is monitoring the situation via all available surveillance channels.
“ICMR will continue to track trends in HMPV circulation throughout the year. The World Health Organization (WHO) is already providing timely updates regarding the situation in China to further inform ongoing measures. The recent preparedness drill conducted across the country has shown that India is well-equipped to handle any potential increase in respiratory illnesses and public health interventions can be deployed promptly if needed,” the ministry said.
The positive market reaction to this revelation demonstrates investor confidence in the healthcare sector’s ability to address emerging public health issues.
