The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Death stalks tribals as drugs prove ineffective

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 19, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Death stalks tribals as drugs prove ineffective

S. Harpal Singh

Over 130 deaths reported during the past five months

Mesram Dev Rao, MPTC member from Gadiguda, showing medicines.

GADIGUDA (ADILABAD DT.): Only providence can put people at so much disadvantage as in the case of tribals of Narnoor mandal that accounted for a majority of the over 130 deaths have taken place due to seasonal diseases over the last five months. People of this area, mostly children, are struck with fevers including the malarial kind, their condition made worse by many other factors that should have been taken care of right at the beginning of the epidemic season.

Though there is some effort by the Health department to provide treatment at the ’door step’, deaths are occurring at regular intervals. Medical teams that have been deployed in this remote area have found the potency of the drugs going begging as children were found to be pale and more importantly famished. “How can a child bear the rather severe effect of drugs like chloroquine on empty stomach”, questioned a member of a medical team deputed to the villages.

What went wrong?

The case of Gadiguda where children and others have continued to die of fevers since June can serve as an example of what went wrong and how it could be rectified. Mesram Dev Rao, the local Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency member, who suffering from ‘fever and cold’ said he discontinued the medication because after the first dose of chloroquine he felt nausea . His neighbour Atram Sakrubai was unable to talk because of weakness.

While Kanaka Jangubai suffered since one month, her younger sister Anasuya could not return to her hostel post Diwali because of fever. Five children of Kanaka Maruthi are passing through the same hell. The list seems to be endless.

The Medical Officer at Gadiguda Primary Health Centre (PHC) actually holds its additional charge that means he has to divide his time between the PHCs of his posting and of his charge.

No energisers

The medicine kit that special teams going around incorporate standard drugs like paracetamol, chloroquine used to cure fevers.

There are no energisers that can take care of the ‘empty stomach’ for the time being. Food packets can be of much use under such circumstances.

Mobile facility

Besides, there has to be a mobile facility for carrying out diagnostic tests on the spot so that the treatment can be selective and not the present blanket kind.

Communication has to be improved. Consider the services of the EMRI’s 108 ambulance going waste just because the village does not have phone facility of any kind.

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