Death due to the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) continued unabated in Malkangiri district as two more children succumbed to the disease on Monday, taking the total toll in the vector-borne disease to 97 in two months.
The day’s deceased were identified as Bablu Halua (5) of MV-22 under Korakonda block and Jhansi Bhumia (5) of Mathili. Both succumbed to the disease while undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH).
Earlier on Sunday, two kids had died of the disease.
Meanwhile, the outbreak of the disease was reported in the Malkangiri headquarters town as one of the two children who died on Sunday belonged to the Malkangiri Municipality area.
A 12-member team including seven experts of the State Health Department and the Centre is on a visit to the district since Saturday for ground survey. Meanwhile, the Malkangiri District Adivasi Mahasangh has called a Malkangiri Bandh on Tuesday protesting the failure of the State Government in tackling the JE menace. The Mahasangh would also hold a massive rally in front of the district Collectorate on Wednesday to highlight the issue.
Kid taken by DM cured, returns home
In a significant development, the seven-year-old Japanese Encephalitis (JE)-affected girl child Shanti, who was forcibly taken away by the Malkangiri district Collector for treatment from her unwilling parents, returned home after being cured at the DHH on Monday.
On last Thursday night, Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy had a tough time when he brought the girl to the district hospital against the wishes of her parents.
Shanti’s mother Vime Padami had argued that as her two-year-old son Ramesh and four-year-old daughter Sushila suffering from JE had died at the DHH, she could not repose faith on the hospital and doctors there.
However, on Monday, senior district administration and health officials took the kid to her village Daniguda under Sadar block and handed her over to her parents after doctors declared her fit and out of danger.