Tribal Welfare Secretary R.P. Sisodia has said that door-to-door surveillance will continue in villages where ‘pedal edema’ or swelling of legs has been reported. So far, it has claimed seven lives.
Mr. Sisodia visited the bereaved families in Annavaram and Chinamattapalli villages of Vara Ramachandrapuram mandal on Saturday. He was accompanied by ITDA Project Officer K.V.N. Chakradharababu and a team of doctors and health officials.
He also visited the government hospital in Kakinada where 30 tribal people were undergoing treatment for the disease.
Later speaking to reporters here, Mr. Sisodia said that medical teams were taking steps on a war-footing to get to the root cause of the disease.
Stating that reports of blood samples sent to Visakhapatnam and Pune laboratories were expected in a few days, he directed the medical teams to take blood samples of those having symptoms of the disease.
Mr. Sisodia said that Rs.30 lakh was sanctioned to the newly constructed government area hospital in Chinturu to purchase equipment. Only serious cases would be referred to the district hospital, he added.
Ex gratia
Mr. Sisodia said that Rs.1 lakh would be paid as ex gratia to the next of kin of those who died of pedal edema. Similarly, Rs.194 per day would be given, under the NREGS, to the patients undergoing treatment in the hospital and their attendants.
He called for concerted efforts to improve the immunity and nutrition levels of the tribal people in the merged mandals.
He asked the local body representatives to initiate appropriate measures to improve sanitation.
