Prevalence of diseases of unknown causes is creating panic in the Rampachodavaram Agency area in East Godavari district. They are so severe that several Koya and a few Kondareddy families are not in a position to earn their livelihood.
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Alerted by local public representatives and Girijana sanghams, health officials collected details of the persons who were undergoing treatment at various Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the merged mandals in the district.
According to the locals, about 300 people have been suffering from pedal edema, kidney failure and lever and other ailments in the last three years in the Agency area. About 20 persons, mostly Koyas, have died of pedal edema and other diseases since 2018.
“Suspected pedal edema is prevalent in Kummuru, Muduguru, Pedda Seetanapalli, Kannaigudem, Somulagudem, Rekhapalli, Nuthigudem, Peddamattapalli, Annavaram, Ummadivaram, Rajupetagommu and other hamlets,” says a tribal Bojji.
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“On May 24, a tribal Madivi Gangaiah (34), of Pedda Seetanapalli village in Chintur mandal died of suspected pedal edema. A few more tribals — Midiam Appa Rao (35), Vanjam Lakshman Rao (19), Madivi Raju (18), Syamala Bhadraiah, Madivi Desaiah (21) — have died of unknown diseases in the last two months,” another tribal Doramma said.
Doctors’ take
“The situation is no different in tribal hamlets in V.R. Puram, Kunavaram, Chintur and other mandals in the district. Two years ago, officials collected bore well and river water samples in the affected villages. Doctors sent the blood samples to laboratories, but clarity is yet to emerge on the exact cause of the deaths,” said a representative of on NGO fighting for tribal rights.
Kannaiah, a Koya, said many patients with suspected pedal edema and other diseases were admitted in the Rekhapalli and Jeediguppa PHCs. Doctors said the diseases were occurring due to consumption of impure river and bore water, consumption of stale meat and food. Many women were also among the pedal edema patients, he said.