Malkangiri: With 24 children dying of a mysterious disease during last two months in Odisha`s Malkangiri district, the government has launched a drive to create health awareness and conduct medical examination in the tribal-dominated district.
"We have collected blood, water and mosquito samples in the affected areas to ascertain the reason behind the death and augmented the drive to create health awareness among the people", chief district medical officer (CDMO), Sashibhushan Panda said.
24 children aged between six months and four years died in some villages under Malkangiri and Korkunda blocks. They had swelling in their eyes, nose and ears accompanied by high fever and blood vomiting leading to death, he said.
A six-member expert team of scientists from Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar visited the affected villages and collected samples for investigation.
Another team of doctors from the MKCG Medical College Hospital at Berhampur was touring the areas today.
"There is no death of children since the last three days and the situation is under control now", the CDMO said.
A team official on condition of anonymity said that the symptoms afflicting the children were akin to Japanese Encephalitis or Dengue. However, it could be known only after a thorough investigation of the collected samples, he said.
Even as the district administration was initiating steps to urge the people to get their children to hospitals, the people, mostly tribal, were blaming witchcraft for their troubles.
"It is an herculean task to create awareness among the people in the district. They have faith in their "Disari" (quack), "Wade" and "Gunia" (black magician) and perform "Dumapuja" (invoking the spirit). They believe that whoever goes to the hospital will invite the curse of their deity", an official said.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.