ANANTAPUR: The Organisation for Protection of Democratic Rights (OPDR) staged a dharna in front of the office of the District Medical and Health Officer here on Thursday demanding that the Government take measures to check spread of chikungunya on a war-footing.

The OPDR urged the Government to consider the intensity of the disease and recognise the number of deaths caused by it. Earlier, the activists of the organisation took out a procession from Krishna Kalamandir to the DM&HO's office raising slogans.

Speaking at the protest programme, OPDR State vice-president M. Srinivasulu said about five lakh persons had been afflicted with chikungunya in the district since its outbreak in January and about 120 persons died of it with the symptoms of the disease. Some 25 per cent of the victims were below 15 years, he said, adding that the officials were not willing to recognise even single death as caused by the disease.

`Delayed action'

He alleged that the Government had not taken any measure to contain the disease. PHCs and Government hospitals were getting rid of the patients by simply giving them tablets for fever and body pains, he said.

He criticised the Government for talking of distributing homeo medicines to control the disease now.

It was not expected of an administration headed by a doctor (Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy), he said.

He sought payment of ex gratia to families who lost members to the disease, undertaking fogging operation in villages and towns, setting up of special medical camps in areas where the disease was rampant.

The OPDR leaders, along with a memorandum to the DM&HO, submitted a list of the 120 persons who they said died with the symptoms of chikungunya.

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