Andhra Pradesh - Khammam   

550 people fall sick in nine villages

Staff Reporter

Source of illness attributed to impure drinking water

KHAMMAM: About 550 people taken ill in a cluster of nine villages in Nelakondapalli mandal, were treated in different hospitals including the primary health centre (PHC) during the past four days.

A majority of them were affected by diarrhoea. The outbreak was attributed to contamination of the drinking water sources.

Medical teams

Five medical teams were rushed to the villages as reports of some fresh cases from new localities flowed in on Saturday. About 50 students from nursing colleges have also been deployed to the affected villages.

Palair MLA, Sambhani Chandra Sekhar, Joint Collector Arokia Raj and District Medical and Health Officer Dr. S. Chakra Rao made a visit to the villages to take stock of the situation.

The DM&HO said most of the patients were treated as out-patients.

The para-medical personnel were out in the villages distributing ORS packets.

He explained that water sources like village ponds were contaminated as the people were using certain chemicals for killing fish.

Contaminated water

The same water was being used in certain places for drinking. Moves were afoot for giving health education to the people in Ramachandrapuram, Machagudem, Sadasibava Puram, Aregudem, Koratlagudem, Chennaram, Surdepalli, Mandrajupalli and Ammagudem- all affected villages.

In Koratagudem about 50 persons were taken ill, after attending function.

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