Tribals in Malkangiri district are now not in a mood to repose faith on the doctors at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) as was evident when district Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy took away a Japanese Encephalitis-affected girl child for treatment from her parents, who unwilling to bring their kid to the DHH on Thursday night.
Sonu Padiami of Daniguda village under Tindirimal panchayat, who has already lost his two children last month even after being discharged from the DHH after being “cured”, wanted to get treat his daughter treated either in Brahmapur or Cuttack.
On November 2, the local ANM conducted a blood test on the third girl child of Sonu and found her JE-positive. Though the ANM tried to take the kid to the DHH, her parents did not allow it, saying that their two other kids died after being treated at the DHH.
On being informed, Collector Chakravarthy went to the village on Thursday night and brought the child with him for treatment at the Malkangiri DHH much to the unwillingness of Sonu Padiami and his wife Vime, who tearfully pleaded that they wanted to admitting their daughter admitted either at the MKCG Medical College Hospital, Brahmapur or the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack.
“I do not want my single surviving child to be treated at the Malkangiri hospital. I have already lost two children in that hospital. But the Collector came and took our daughter there for treatment,” said Sonu Padiami.
While Sonu’s four-year-old daughter died first, his two-year-old son succumbed to the disease shortly later.
The girl child’s mother Vime Padiami said the Collector forcibly took her daughter from her and assured that she would be treated like her own daughter.
“The Collector said he would treat my daughter as his own and assured that she would come back cured. However, I have no trust on the doctors at the Malkangiri hospital,” said Vime with a choked voice.
Now, many hapless parents have lost faith in the Government health institutions after losing their children and resorted to age-old traditional treatment procedures, and many go to the nearby Andhra Pradesh hospitals.
Meanwhile, two more children died in the deadly disease on Friday morning, taking the total toll to 90.
Sanju Madhi (2) of Mudakhal village under Kalimela block and Sumitra Kope of Paknaguda village under Mathili block succumbed to the killer disease at the DHH.
Meanwhile, the six-member expert team formed by the State Government visited Malkangiri district to undertake an in-depth study of the disease.
Jacob John, a renowned clinical virologist, is appointed the chairperson of the team.
Nat’l child rights body seeks report
Expressing grave concern over the continuing death of children due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) that has turned an epidemic in Malkangiri district, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Friday served a notice to the Chief Secretary seeking details of what measures the State Government has so far taken for control and prevention of the vector-borne disease.
The NCPCR has directed the Chief Secretary to reply to its notice within ten days.
“If the State Government fails to provide a satisfactory reply on this account within the stipulated period, the commission will take action against the Chief Secretary,” informed NCPCR Member Jaswant Jain.