The bustling village of Erravalli, 10 kms from the district headquarters town of Vikarabad is facing the worst challenge of its existence in the second Corona wave that is playing havoc across the nation.
Three deaths due to COVID -19 of Patlolla Subhakar Reddy, Sadiulapuram Shamantha and Anajiah in a span of five days has left the locals dazes and fear stricken. While the first two died undergoing treatment in hospitals, the last one passes in the village due to Corona.
Fearing the worst, the residents pleaded with the district administration to hold health camps to test people for COVID-19. When recently a health camp was indeed conducted, 30 out of the 85 people tested positive for COVID-19 sending shockwaves. On Wednesday tests conducted for 21 primary and secondary contacts of the corona patients and seven of them tested positive.
Erravally has a population of 1200 and locals depend on agriculture as their main source of livelihood.
Afraid of contracting the virus some villagers left their houses and moved to their agricultural lands. They have made the cattle sheds in the farm land as their temporary shelter.
S. Mallamma, sarpanch of the village was also infected with Corona and in home isolation. "People are fearing worse even if they are suffering with normal fever during the present situation. There is a need to increase number of Corona tests immediately to clear the fear among public," said Mr. Hanumanthu, husband of Mallamma.
“There are about five families that are staying away from the village and in their fields in cattle sheds. These families are not infected with corona but are afraid of contracting the same. This is a complete precautionary measure by them voluntarily. They are coming back to home in the evening and leaving houses early in the morning. There are only 28 corona positive cases and we are monitoring their health condition on day today basis,” K. Aruna Kumari, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) of Erravalli told The Hindu.
“In the case of Subhakar Reddy, he had high glucose levels and hyper tension and on medication for several years. He was in hospital for three days and died later. Shamantha, was single women and had suffered with fever for four days and approached the officials very late. She was in government hospital at Vikarabad for one day and later died. As of now there are only 28 cases,” said panchayat secretary K Madhukar adding that tests for some more will be conducted by evening.
“Surely we are not getting right figures as far as corona cases or deaths are concerned in Vikarabad district. They have stopped even releasing health bulletin. We have to collect details from mandal level from one or other source and have to file reports. Officials are admitting that they are being supplied with limited test kits and their hands were tied,” said a reporter from vernacular daily. He preferred not to be quoted.
