Opposition MLAs urge govt to control malaria in Agency

Vizianagaram: Opposition leaders cornered the state government and demanded the upgradation of health facilities in the Agency area. The MLAs have raised the issue of the spread of malaria in villages.

They alleged that the government was completely neglecting the Assembly constituencies represented by members of Opposition parties. It was not taking any measures to minimise the spread of seasonal diseases like dengue, malaria, cholera and typhoid in such constituencies, they lamented.

On Wednesday, the Zilla Parishad (ZP) general body meeting was held here under the chairmanship of ZP chairperson Dr S Swathi Rani. MLA of Salur P Rajanna Dora said that villages in Makkuva, Pachipenta and Salur were affected by malaria but the medical staff was not visiting those areas.

MLA of Kurupam, P Pushpa Srivani, in her speech, said that sanitary conditions in villages were bad resulting in the spread of diseases. Later, Minister for Mines and Geology RVSK Ranga Rao instructed the medical and health staff to rush to the Agency areas and monitor the condition of each and every patient.

“We are sanctioning additional medical units to diagnose malaria suspected cases and also providing additional services like highly equipped ambulances and specialists at Parvathipuram area hospital,” he said.

MLA Srivani appealed to the state government to provide additional beds at Kurupam hospital for the convenience of the public and requested them to make available of anti-snake venom injections. Most of the members have demanded the appointment of medical staff in their areas to meet the additional burden in the epidemic season.

Zilla Parishad Chairperson Dr S Swathi Rani, District Collector Vivek Yadav, MLAs K Lalitha Kumari, K Appala Naidu, M Geetha, MLCs D Jagadish, K Veerabhadra Swamy and others were present on the occasion.