Patrapur: Inhabitants of hilltop villages under this block in Ganjam district are panicked over the spread of an unknown disease that has affected more than a dozen of people, including minors and women, in the area during the past weeks, reports said.
Hilltop villages – Ankuli, Buratal, Tumbha, Khariaguda, Turubudi, Samantarapur and many neighbouring hamlets are haunted by a ‘mysterious’ disease. The tribal populace in the region are suffering from fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and cough after contacting this ‘mysterious’ disease.
The Nor’wester showers have added to the woes of the people as they are unable to visit the local hospital for treatment. As there is no concrete road in the region, the villages are forced to trek a few kilometers through hills to reach the panchayat from where they can taken a vehicle to the hospital.
The prevailing rain has made life even harder for them. As a result, they are forced to depend on local sorcerers and quacks for treatment.
Sources said many minor children including an eight-month baby Pabitra Karji, Kanhu Karji (3), Ajit Karji (4) and Tuni Karji (4) have been affected by the disease. Similarly, elderly persons like Ganapati Karji (35) and Sudarshan Behera (25) are among the many others affected by the disease.
The disease also had spread to neighbouring Sirisiganda Beheraputu, Baniabasa and Elgal villages. Over a hundred people are affected by the disease, locals said. Earlier, the villagers had to take a five-year-old on a sling to a local hospital when his condition worsened due to the disease.
In emergency cases, the villagers make a cot or a sling and carry the patients through the forest as ambulances cannot reach the remote villages. Till date, no medical team has visited the village to take stock of the situation.
The tribals have demanded that a medical team visit the villages and prescribe necessary medicines before the disease spreads to newer areas and affects more people.
