The monthly pension scheme for filaria patients announced by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has rekindled the hopes of around 2,886 patients in the district. Patients had been protesting for the past decade for a monthly pension to provide relief from the debilitating disease, which can leave patients immobile.
Following the intervention of Collector D.S. Lokesh Kumar, a comprehensive survey was conducted by the Malaria control wing of the Medical and Health Department in 2016 to assess the number of filaria affected persons in the district. In addition to patients identified in the survey, as many as 49 new ones were identified in screening camps conducted in select villages in Khammam division last year.
A majority of cases were reported from Palair constituency, mainly in Tirumalayapalem, Kusumanchi, and Nelakondapalli mandals. The highest number of filaria cases were identified under the Subledu Primary Health Centre (PHC) limits, which had 459 patients. This was followed by 441 under the M.V. Palem PHC limits and 429 under the Kusumanchi PHC limits in the district, according to official sources.
The Left parties, mainly the CPI (ML-New Democracy) and the CPI (M), have led the agitations by the filariasis patients to bring their plight to the spotlight. It was the focus of the by-election campaign held for the Palair constituency in 2016.
IFTU district secretary Ch. Ramaiah said the actual number of filaria patients is several times more than the official figures claim. A detailed survey should be conducted to ascertain the exact number of the filaria patients in the district and monthly pension should be extended to all them, he insisted.
Seethamma, a filaria patient residing in Bonaka, said that the pensions should be provided to patients at the earliest to provide relief. Her daughter-in-law is also afflicted with the disease.
Khammam District Malaria Officer A. Ram Babu said awareness camps on vector control strategies, with an emphasis on prevention of filariasis, were being conducted in Khammam division and elsewhere in the district. Such programmes would educate filaria patients on morbidity management and other related aspects, he said.
