A team of experts from King George Hospital (KGH) visited Patha Rudakota, also known as P. Rudakota village, in Pedabayulu mandal to investigate the case of mysterious deaths of infants for the past two years in Visakhapatnam Agency. This is for the second time in the last two months, the medical officials have visited the village.
Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Project Officer R. Gopala Krishna said that the team had visited the village on January 12, conducted screening of the women from the village who have lost their children, interacted with them and checked the surroundings of the village. He said that the team is yet to give a report.
There are about 138 households in the village with different tribal communities such as Bagatha, Kondadora and a few others inhabiting it. The village has been reporting infant deaths since the last two years. In the last two years, 14 deaths were reported, including eight in the last nine months.
During the month of December, a team of doctors from KGH had visited the village and conducted investigation. The doctors in their report stated that respiratory issues led to the deaths. It was due to the lack of awareness on how to feed milk to the infants and the care to be given immediately after feeding, resulted in the deaths, the report stated.
However, a number of villagers, especially some mothers who have lost their children, have expressed dissatisfaction on the report. Latha (Name changed), a resident of the village, said that they know how to feed children. “Apart from learning it from the doctors while delivery, our mothers also tell us about it. We are not convinced with the health team investigation,” she said.
About 10 days ago, Governor, Biswa Bhushan Harichandan had expressed concern over the death of infants and ordered the Tribal Welfare Department to obtain a detailed investigation report. The Department in their report attributed the deaths to the calcium deficiency in the mothers and drinking water contamination due to rusting of pipelines which were laid long time ago. Further inquiry was also ordered to contain the deaths.
