The deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus claimed life of one more child in Malkangiri district on Wednesday, taking the death toll in the vector-borne disease to 72 in 48 days. The day’s deceased was identified as Sania Raba (2) of Kurusibeda village under Korakonda block.
Three kids had succumbed to the disease on Monday while undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) here.
Ironically, the Central team, which had visited the affected villages in the district to take stock of the situation, had on Monday stated that Japanese Encephalitis is under control. Meanwhile, the State Congress organised a ‘Sisu Banchao Abhiyan’ (Save children campaign) in Malkangiri district with an aim to put pressure on the State Government to take prompt proactive measures to protect lives of innocent tribal children.
A large number of party workers led by senior party leader and former Union Minister Bhakta Charan Das and former Nabarangpur MP Pradip Majhi took out a rally in the affected villages and organised a meeting near the district Collectorate.
“We came to know that the CM is coming to Malkangiri on October 29. We demand that the CM bring adequate vaccines with him for the tribal kids to save their lives,” said Majhi.
He decried the State Government’s failure to tackle the menace.