7000 stung, epidemic scare

The first deaths were reported at the primary health centers in Pokharan in mid-August this year. Since then, NGOs claim that over 50 deaths have been reported.

‘‘Right now, people will be able to record only those deaths which occurred at the primary health centres,’’ says Dr Sanjay Sharma of the Rajasthan Voluntary Health Association (RVHA). ‘‘Nobody is keeping track of those who are dying in remote villages.’’

Triggered by the heavy monsoon showers, villages are struggling to cope with the problem of mosquitoes, stagnant water and ‘‘administrative callousness’’. ‘‘This problem is because of administrative indifference,’’ says Sujan Singh Rathod of Lokmat, an NGO. ‘‘In villages across Bikaner, people are dying. The government did not spray DDT on time, they formed mobile teams late and what they are doing now is too little.’’

Members of the RVHA agree. ‘‘We did a field survey in August and recorded details of the five deaths reported at a primary health centre in Pokharan,’’ says Sharma. ‘‘The government didn’t take it seriously then and now they have a big problem at hand.’’

Refuting charges of late reaction, the Bikaner district administration says everything is under control. ‘‘We have formed 20 mobile teams and many are operating in Kolayat and Nokha, the two worst-affected areas in the district,’’ says R.K. Jaiswal, Additional DM, Bikaner. ‘‘We’ve had 13 deaths and 1,500 suspected cases. We’re trying to reach out to people in remote villages who returned to their fields after the monsoons.’’ He says DDT was sprayed in August.

Not many are convinced. Independent MLA from Deeg, Arun Singh, has alerted Health Minister Tayyab Hussain on the outbreak in Bharatpur district and appealed for action. ‘‘The malaria department in Bharatpur has no funds,’’ Singh says. ‘‘Since the chief medical officer is ill, the routine malarial prevention work hasn’t been effectively carried out.’’