As the cases of viral fevers and other seasonal diseases, including dengue, are on the rise in several Agency mandals, the demand for declaration of health emergency to bolster health infrastructure and fill up the critical gaps in public healthcare delivery system have surfaced from various quarters in the tribal majority district.
Activists of Left parties and other organisations observed a bandh in the ST-reserved Pinapaka constituency on Saturday demanding filling up of all vacancies in the 100-bed government hospital in Manuguru town.
M P Banjara, Jaggaram and a couple of other villages in Pinapaka constituency are reeling under viral fevers that are spreading fast owing to insanitary conditions caused by stagnation of water due to intermittent spell of heavy rains over the past few days, sources said.
According to sources, a contract worker of the Bhadradri Thermal Power Station (BTPS) construction site near Manuguru succumbed to high fever with dengue-like symptoms at a hospital in Bhadrachalam on Saturday.
A 15-year-old girl from a village near Manuguru died of suspected dengue fever at a private hospital in Khammam on Saturday evening.
The sudden spurt in cases of vector-borne and other seasonal diseases in Agency areas has spurred demands from the CPI (M) and various mass organisations for declaration of health emergency in Agency mandals to conduct medical camps in all the affected villages on a war-footing to ensure prompt diagnostic and treatment services to the needy.
Though the COVID-19 positivity rate in the district is well below 1%, the sporadic cases of coronavirus in some parts of the district have emerged as a cause of concern in the midst of peak rainy season.
As many as eight teachers of various government/local body schools were diagnosed with COVID in the district since reopening of schools for physical classes on September 1, sources said.
This has prompted the authorities to conduct COVID testing camps in schools, where these eight teachers worked. All their primary contacts, including students, have reportedly tested negative much to the relief of the school education authorities.
When contacted, District Medical and Health Officer Dr. Sirisha told The Hindu that more than 400 medical camps were conducted in areas identified as hotspots of viral fevers and other vector-borne diseases in the district over the past fortnight.
Vigorous efforts are on to prevent and control viral fevers and other seasonal diseases, she said, adding that more than 100 dengue confirmatory tests were being conducted daily in the Telangana Diagnostic Centre at the District Headquarters Hospital in Kothagudem.
No death has been reported due to dengue in the district so far this year, she said.
