The rise in seasonal diseases is causing concern among people. Clogged drains and potholed roads filled with rainwater have turned into breeding ground for mosquitoes, which cause a host of diseases like malaria and dengue. The growing number of patients at the community health centres and hospitals reflects the situation.
District Collector A. Mallikarjuna has suggested at a recent review meeting with the Medical and Health officials that ‘dry days’ should be observed twice a week on Tuesday and Friday to check the spread of seasonal diseases.
“Dengue cases begin in July while September and October are the peak months for the spread of the disease. Malaria peaks between April and August. Unlike other mosquito species, aedes aegypti, which causes dengue and chikungunya, breeds in stagnant fresh water like rainwater, which gets collected in discarded tyres, coconut shells and waste water from refrigerators which gets collected in a tray or drain pan,” says District Malaria Officer Y. Mani.
Dengue is rampant in urban areas while malaria is prevalent in tribal areas. The government has been taking steps over the years to control malaria like provision of mosquito nets, spraying of pesticides and creating awareness among tribal people on the need to keep their surroundings clean.
Delayed reports
Delays in getting blood test reports are delaying the treatment and sometimes leading to death of patients. “ASHA workers have already been trained in the use of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits. Supplying a few kits to each worker will ensure that malaria is detected on the spot and treatment started immediately,” says Dayanand of Chintapalli, who has been closely watching the situation in the Agency for a couple of decades.
“We are given 20 paracetamol tablets a month but not anti-malaria drugs. We have to inform the ANM if there is a malaria case and then they give us malaria drugs,” says an ASHA worker of a hamlet under Kothuru panchayat.
“Tribal people are averse to coming to the hospital as there are some COVID-19 patients being treated in the isolation ward, though it is located on a separate floor. We have all the medical equipment and drugs but they go to private hospitals,” laments a nurse at the Area Hospital at Araku.
