Malkangiri: With the death of two more kids from the dreaded ‘Japanese fever’ at the district headquarters hospital, the toll Saturday arrived at 40 in the district.
The deceased were identified as Kuni Pangi, the four-year-old daughter of Krushna Pangi of Kopeguda village under Kudumulugumma block and Debasmita Beti(3) of Mudakhal village under Kalimela block.
At present, 52 children are undergoing treatment in the hospital while three of them have been kept in the ICU. Their condition is critical, it was learnt.
Meanwhile, two pediatricians reached the hospital and started treatment of the affected kids.
On the other hand, a three-member team including H&FW regional director Suman Kumar and member of Orissa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Sandhyabati Pradhan went to the hospital to take stock of the situation. Later, they went to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) here to collect information about the undernourished babies and their mothers.
The district needs more paediatricians at present and she would request the government to appoint more doctors here, Pradhan said. Later in the day, the team visited several villages having cases of Japanese encephalitis.
Former Nabarangpur MP Pradip Majhi, after visiting the hospital, alleged the government has misled people by saying that the vaccines for the killer disease are not available. In fact, they are readily available at the DHH but have been kept aside for the treatment of kids of the rich, he said, adding, the government has no sympathy for the tribal children.
Meanwhile, shifting of pigs from human settlement to far-off places continued Saturday in rural areas of the district and the district administration
also generated awareness on the disease. PNN
