With malaria playing havoc in at least three villages of Gomia block in Bermo sub-division, the situation has taken alarming proportions as the water-borne deseases have claimed four lives in these tribal dominated villages over the last one month. Also 100 others have been hospitalised in the different hospitals, private nursing homes and other health centres in the different blocks.
At Siyari village in Gomia block malaria has reportedly claimed four lives. They include two children leela Kumari (12), Raju Tuddu (14), Sankuntla Devi (22) and 50 year old Mukur Manjhi. There are also reports that dozen other villages of Gomia block namely Banchatra, Dumari, Sioyari, Udda, Dawar, Pakaria and Gosse were also affected.
The situation has caused widespread panic among the villagers. Many of them said they were forced to drink contaminated water as they are no sources of drinking water in the villages. The member of local NGO “Nai Pahal”, Ashis Thakur told The Pioneer that even now medical aid has not reached the affected areas. People are concerned that if medical assistance does not reach the affected villages and step are not taken to provide clean drinking water in the area ,an epidemic might engulf the locality –Thakur further added local Gomia MlA Madhav lal Singh appeal to the Bokaro DC and district civil surgeon to look into conditions of the villages of Gomia and take appropriate action has gone in vain, acute scarcity of clean water and drainage in the area was the main reason for out break of diseases, Singh added.
Though Bokaro civil surgeon Dr SN Tiwari claimed that doctors including Dr Jitendra Kumar, Dr AK Poddar and Dr Abhaya Prakash with necessary medicines have already been rushed to the affected villages, the villagers denied this, they said the team of doctors visited a day (November 2,2013)in the villages, the patients were admitted to private clines for want of proper treatment at the Government hospital. With over 20 malaria cases being reported every day, the diseases has assumed alarming portion in the district.