Nalgonda in severe grip of viral fevers 

​Nalgonda: Come winter season, several mandals of the district are in the grip of viral fevers. The people are suffering from malaria, dengue and typhoid to name a few. This is attributed to prevailing unhygienic conditions in the villages. Many have approached private hospitals to get themselves treated. Referring to some of the deaths, the district administration terms them as not due to dengue.

The situation in the district is so pathetic that it reflects the deep slumber in which the district administration is steeped in. In fact, one-fourth of the population in Bheemanapalli in Nampalli mandal, Pittampalli in Kattangur mandal and Nomula village in Nakrekal mandal has been hospitalised because of the viral fevers.

Family members are taking turns to become victims of the fevers, which includes swine flu. Though there are viral fevers in the state, their impact is high in Nalgonda district as not just one or two but people of whole village have become victims of the diseases. In some mandals, tens of villages are in the grip of the fevers.

People of several mandals, including Nakrekal, Kattangur, Ketepalli, Miryalaguda, Damaracharla, Adavi Devulapalli, Tripuraram, Peddavoora, Chandampet, Neredugommu, Marriguda, Munugodu and Chityala are becoming victims of the viral fevers. Sanitation became a casualty and there is filth all around in many villages. Not cleaning the water tanks, prevailing unhygienic conditions in villages attracting pigs and mosquitoes are some of the factors for the outbreak of viral fevers.

The district authorities have identified 27 persons with dengue symptoms and 17 with malaria. Those with dengue symptoms got themselves immediately admitted to private hospitals. In Gudapur and other villages of Munugodu mandal, the district medical and health authorities identified 17 persons were suffering from malaria. However, private medical practitioners dispute the figure and put the people suffering from malaria would be in their hundreds.

According to unconfirmed reports, an expectant mother died of dengue in Miryalaguda. A trader belonging to Nakrekal is suffering from swine flu. There are some deaths due to viral fevers and dengue. Though the government claims to have taken steps to prevent dengue, the measures could not be implemented at the field level.

As viral fevers assumed virulent form, people of Pittampalli are living in the grip of fear psychosis. Mosquitoes are breeding as filth accumulated in drainages is not being cleaned regularly. The victims of viral fevers are expressing their anguish over spending in thousands to get cured of the viral fevers.

In Pittampalli, the population is 1766. Of them 50 are down with viral fevers. The villagers are very much agonised following death of two students in the village due to viral fevers. Their worry was heightened with the death of two youth of the village with dengue symptoms. The villagers are not hesitating to travel as far as Hyderabad to receive treatment in private hospitals. The situation in Pittampalli, Nomula, Damarabheemanapalli is pathetic. District Collector Gaurav Uppal directed officials to set up a medical camp in the village.

According to the District Collector, the officials are conducting tests as usual, sensitising villagers on sanitation. Only four or five cases of viral fevers, which are not dengue, surfaced in Pittampalli. A medical camp is being run in the village and medicines are being given free of cost. Failure to monitor the working of PHCs and to take remedial action by the district medical and health officer is attracting criticism that the district medical and health department is in deep slumber. It was high-time the medical and health department is put back on rails.

By B Ashok