The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Festival turns a nightmare for them

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Wednesday, Sep 10, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Festival turns a nightmare for them

R. Avadhani

More than 100 people in a village in Medak district affected by diarrhoea

— Photo: Mohd. Arif

Indisposed: Pochaiah of Nizampur village undergoing treatment in a hospital in Sangareddy, Medak on Tuesday.

SANGAREDDY: The festival of Vinayaka Chaturthi turned out to be a nightmare for many people in Nizampur village in Sadasivapet mandal of Medak district.

More than 100 of them were affected by diarrhoea and immediately shifted to a medical camp set up by the district administration. Some were brought to the district headquarters for treatment.

“Since how long it has been affecting us we do not know. But on the day of Vinayaka Chaturthi, when we were getting ready to perform puja, suddenly we fell sick with vomiting and motions. While some were treated at the local medical camp others were shifted to the hospital at Sangareddy,” said Narasimhulu, who has been undergoing treatment in the hospital.

High fever

“My son Pochaiah has been running with high fever and it is not controlled yet.

We are borrowing money from our near and dear ones for the treatment though the government is supplying available medicines,” says Nagamma, sitting beside her son at the hospital.

Even to come to the hospital it costs each person about Rs. 50, which is half of their daily wage for many. For some, even getting that daily wage was also difficult.

“If two people are getting relieved from the hospital, four people are replacing them and crowding the hospital,” said Balaiah, who came along with patients claiming that four people – Rangamma, Jayamma, Anjaiah and Chennaiah — died due to diarrhoea.

Two borewells – one in a school premises and another in the colony – supplying drinking water in the village are surrounded with garbage and stagnated water, according to District Medical and Health Officer Govardhan Reddy.

When asked about people still coming from the village with the same problem, the DHMO admitted that protected drinking water supply was not yet supplied to the village and the local people were not heeding their advice not to drink water from the borewell.

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