Koppal: Fresh wave of misery

 

On Monday alone, Dr Sharanappa Hiregowdar, medical officer at the community health centre (CHC) in Hiresindogi attended to 60 patients suffering from viral fever. Nine cases of chikungunya were reported on the day. Besides, four cases of diarrhoea were also reported.

The number of patients visiting the centre with complaints of fever and bodyache has gone up after the heavy rains and floods.

Water-borne diseases generally spread through mosquitoes. Chikungunya, particularly, is caused by a mosquito which breeds on fresh water. After the flooding, sources for breeding of mosquitoes are many. As a result, the disease is spreading rapidly.
When this reporter visited the CHC, there were a huge number of patients there. The staff had attended to over 90 patients till 4 pm.

The staff informed that basic amenities could not be offered to in-patients at the health centre, which is the only one in 19 villages.

The OT has been closed for  four days, as there was no power supply. For cases that came after dark, the doctors were forced to deliver babies in candlelight! “The Government has built a 40-bed hospital in the village. Soon, we will shift to the new building,” the doctor said.

For four days, the villages of Hiresindogi, Chikkasindogi and Gunnalli were marooned in water. People were stranded in water for many hours. Yet, they do not have any drinking water.

The villagers of Chikkasindogi fetch water from a handpump at Gali Durgamma temple, about a kilometre from the village. Those in Hiresindogi depend on Hirehalla water for drinking too. “We are not getting good water here. We have been drinking water fetched from Hirehalla. We are unable to boil water as we cannot enter our houses which are in dilapidated condition. Most of the people and children are suffering from cough and fever,” said Gangamma of Hiresindogi.

Halogen tablets have been distributed to the villagers. The staff have been kept on alert. They will now have to visit villages and hold fever census. They will report the serious cases immediately, the doctor said.