Diarrhoea, fever claim over two dozen lives in North Chhattisgarh

Over two dozen people have been killed of diarrhoea and fever in north of Chhattisgarh at Sarguja district, where Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday only inaugurated a medical college and praised the Chhattisgarh government for its health services.

"Due to diarrhoea in Mainpat, Sitapur and Batauli areas of Sarguja district, over two dozen people have been killed and hundreds are undergoing treatments in various hospitals," MLA of the area Amarjeet Bhagat told Millennium Post adding due to "unsafe drinking water and lack of health services more and more people are affected of the diseases".

Asgawan, Paiga, Suplaga, Narmadapur, Dharampur, Karamha, Pot, Kotchaal and nearby Panchayats are the worst affected, Bhagat said claiming even medical teams have not been able to stop death of villagers in that area.

The Government Health Officer of the area Dr R S Singh, however, contradicted the local MLA but said besides diarrhoea local people are also suffering from fevers and other diseases. "On Saturday 175 patients were treated in Asgawan, Paiga, Suplaga, Sapnadar, Barima, Karamha, Bandana and Narmadapur health camps. Out of 175 patients 23 were found of having fever, 7 of diarrhoea and vomiting and 145 were down with other diseases," said the Block Medical Officer Dr R S Singh.

After a senior Congress delegation met the Health Minister Ajay Chandrakar on the issue, Sarguja District Collector Bhim Singh had asked for a door to door survey of the area to check further deaths due to the seasonal diseases. In a similar check up in the area on August 28 last as many as 61 villagers were found of fever, 16 of diarrhoea and 59 of other diseases, a government release said.

District Collector Bhim Singh also claimed sufficient medical teams have been deployed in the area to check further death, although the local people's representatives have alleged that the death reports are still pouring in despite the presence of the medical teams.

Interestingly a government release blamed some deaths to local arrack and liquor and said the excise department has been asked to seize all such materials. "During the visit of the area by the District Collector, it was found, people were living in unhygienic condition with domesticated animals, filth and others and they have been asked to lead a healthy life," the release added but was silent when India was crying for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan why this district is not listening to those slogans of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Chief District Medical Officer Dr N K Pandey also said they are keeping a watch on the villages and field staffs have been asked to remain vigilant.

But the senior Congress MLA Bhagat said "the entire health system has collapsed in the area, because of which so many deaths have been reported and hundreds are undergoing treatment in various hospitals".