Visakhapatnam: Vector-borne diseases are increasing in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district with many being reported from flood-hit areas of Chintoor, reports said.
So far, five deaths have been reported and 150 are in government hospitals in Chintoor, Rampachodavaram and Paderu divisional hospitals for treatment for various diseases.
ASR district malaria officer Dr Samba Murthy said 618 malaria cases were reported from Paderu division and 18 each were registered in Chintoor and Ramapchodavaram divisions. Similarly, 28 dengue cases were reported from Paderu, 18 from Rampachodavaram and two from Chintoor.
In addition to these diseases, he said viral infections were also being reported from various places which include jaundice and typhoid. So far, 150 patients have been admitted to various hospitals and are being treated.
“Around 189 cases were suspected to be dengue positive in July and August this year but they later turned out to be negative,’’ the ADHMO Dr P. Pullaiah told this correspondent on Saturday.
He said the reports of Karam Sandhya, the 10-year-old girl who accompanied Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy during his visit to flood-hit areas in July last, had died of dengue was false. She died of viral encephalitis, he said.
But the ground reports said there was spurt in dengue and malaria cases after the floods as no proper sanitation was taken up.
Hundreds of people are being infected with malaria and dengue and all of them are moving to Bhadrachalam, 70 km from Chintoor, to avail better treatment from corporate hospitals.
Chintoor has an area hospital with 50 beds and Konuru community health centre has 30 beds but both the hospitals have no doctors. A lone dentist manages Konuru hospital.
One doctor from Rajamahendravaram is deputed to an area hospital every week, Dr Pullaiah said.
Adivasi activists are demanding a health emergency in the flood-hit areas of Chintoor and surrounding areas as no proper sanitation was taken up after the floods receded.
M. Rajababu, an activist, demanded medical camps all over the district during the current monsoon season to mitigate the situation.
Malaria officer Dr Sambamurthy said alpha-cypermethrin (ACM) spraying was conducted in two phases in 1,643 villages in the three divisions of Chintoor, Rampachodavaram and Paderu. The first phase was done from April 15 to June 30 and the second phase from July 1 to August 31.
