Kerala - Alappuzha

Kuttanad limping back to normality

Staff Reporter

Fever threat haunts relief camps; Government hospitals inundated

ALAPPUZHA: Kuttanad, which has been submerged for nearly a week now, is still struggling to regain normality though the waters continued to recede on Monday.

The residents of the region are facing a twin threat now. Most of the houses that were submerged were mud and brick constructions, which have been softened and in turn weakened by the water. Though people are cleaning up the filth deposited by the waters, a fear of the walls collapsing any moment haunts them, according to K.A. Pramod, ward member from Kainakary.

The other problem, which the district administration is also striving hard to counter, is the fever threat in relief camps. Medical teams deputed by District Medical Officer N.N. Murali continued to visit relief camps by boat on Monday. Three teams are going around areas such as Nedumudi, Thakazhi, Edathua, Veeyapuram, Kavalam, and Kuppapuram.

With camps lacking even basic facilities, the threat of water-borne diseases looms large over them, Dr. Murali said. “We are taking all possible precautionary measures. But still, we have to remain vigil round the clock to ensure that there is no outbreak of fever,” he said.

For the residents of Champakulam and Pulinkunnu, the threat is of a different kind, not because medical teams cannot reach them, but because the State-run hospitals in these areas were flooded.

The situation in the 24-bedded Champakulam Government Hospital is worse. The entire hospital has been flooded, forcing the authorities to discharge the in-patients here. However, a few of the patients were not in a position even to go home since their homes were flooded too. Left with no option, the hospital staff have shifted these patients to the hospital’s new building, which is still under construction.

With no facilities available in the building, patients are struggling to fight off mosquitoes and are in trouble whenever there is a strong shower.

“The construction of the building, the work of which was handed over to Nirmithi Kendra with a grant of Rs.40 lakh from the MP’s fund of V.M. Sudheeran, is almost over. But the finishing touches, including electrification, plastering and flooring, have been delayed inordinately.

If the work is completed soon, it would be a big boon for patients since the height at which the new building has been constructed will prevent inundation,” a hospital staff said.

The Pulinkunnu Taluk Hospital, which had reported a large number of fever cases during the recent outbreak, is also in a similar situation.

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