AP tribals left to their fate!

Visakhapatnam: For the last one week, tribals residing in remote villages of Ananthagiri mandal have become bed-ridden as they are suffering from viral fever.

The problem is more in the villages of Pinakota panchayat and Ananthagiri panchayat as the people residing here are the worst affected. Those residing in Regam, Rachakeelam, Cheedimettu and Bonurlu villages in Pinakota panchayat have been suffering from viral fever for the past one week. In each village, at least 10-15 tribals have become bed-ridden in the recent past.

With no primary health centres in their vicinity coupled with their inability to trek 30-km to reach the hospital, the affected tribals have been confined to their homes for days.

In the wake of the Covid-19 second wave, the tribals express their concern over the infection. "Unfortunately, we don't know whether we are infected with the viral fever or the virus itself," they lament.

As there is no basic transport facility, they say, they have no other choice than to depend on the 'doli' (make-shift stretcher) to get their medical examination done and that too trekking kilometres from their respective village.

Given their current health condition, they are not in a position to visit the Rural Health Centres either. The affected tribals are demanding the district administration to conduct at least a medical camp in their villages so that they can get treated accordingly.

"Though we are gulping down paracetamol tablets supplied by the community health workers, it is not helping us to recover from the fever. We are absolutely clueless about our health condition," rues G Yerrayya, a resident of Cheedimettu, who is suffering from fever.

Expressing his views, CPM ZPTC Ganga Raju says, "Authorities concerned should at least set up a medical camp here so that the tribals suffering from fever can be examined."