Sangareddy: More than 72 villages in Medak district in Andhra Pradesh are under the grip of chikungunya. According to Government estimates, over 1,000 people in Zaheerabad and some 450 people in Siddipet mandals have been flooding hospitals for treatment each day.

In Ismailkhanpet of Sangareddy mandal alone there are more than 50 cases wherein patients are suffering from fever and joint pains. However, the team of doctors visiting the village opines that only 3-4 cases could be classified as that of chikungunya.

Symptomatic treatment

One of the patients Ashamalolla Anita, 25, has been diagnosed to be down with chikungunya. Vaitla Karthik, 2, and Vaitla Ramadevi, 14, are also suffering from similar symptoms.

Navaneetha, head of the doctor's team at the sub-centre in Ismailkhanpet, says that only symptomatic treatment is possible for the disease.

Alarmed by the situation, district Collector B. Venkatesam convened a meeting with medical and health, panchayat and municipal departments here on Saturday.

Taking a serious note of complacency on the part of officials, the Collector ordered that no employee of the Medical and Health Department, including doctors, would be granted leave till the situation improved. He asked District Medical and Health Officer Pentaiah to summon all doctors who went on leave.

Funds released

Setting July 6 as deadline, the Collector asked personnel of the Medical Department to visit all the 72 affected villages, organise health camps and complete all sanitation works. He released Rs. 10 lakh to enable the departments concerned to complete the work on a war footing.

On the other hand, each minor panchayat would be given Rs. 10,000 from the general funds and major panchayats could take up sanitation works up to Rs. 5,000 from their sources.

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