Two Girijans died while undergoing treatment at the Community Health Centre in the revenue divisional headquarters of Paderu in the Visakha Agency in the early hours of Wednesday. While it was suspected that they died due to malaria, District Medical and Health Officer U. Swarajya Lakshmi said the death was due to other reasons.
Death of Ammedeli Rukmini, 35, of Pedabayalu and Matham Ramunaidu, 35, of Ganneruputtu in G. Madugula mandal was reported on Wednesday. While Rukmini was admitted to the CHC on Tuesday with high fever, Ramunaidu was in the hospital for the last two days.
Dr. Swarajya Lakshmi said the man was a chronic TB patient and both his lungs were badly affected. He had tested positive for malaria in the past but it was not known if he was suffering from malaria when he was admitted to the CHC.
The woman died one hour after she was admitted and the cause of her death had not been ascertained. The Additional DMHO was asked to visit her village and conduct an examination and review the situation.
Five died due to malaria in the Visakha Agency during this month and the two suspected malaria deaths occurred just a day after a three-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, formed by Chief Minister to study the conditions following reports of large number of cases of malaria and other fevers in the Agency area of north coastal Andhra and swine flu in the city, completed its two-day tour and returned to Hyderabad.
Parties' claim
Girijans and political parties claimed that there were many cases of malaria in the Agency villages, particularly in the remote habitations and the seasonal fever might have claimed more lives.
Political parties blamed the government for not supplying sufficient quantity of medicines and not making efforts to fill the vacancies of Medical Officers and paramedical staff in the Visakha Agency. There was also a demand to provide nutritious food to the malaria patients and those suffering with fevers.
