Amaravati, Sep 4 Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar Yadav on Thursday reviewed the situation in Turakapalem village in Guntur district, where a series of unexplained deaths during the last couple of months have triggered panic.
At a review meeting here, he questioned the higher officials over the delay in identifying the cause of a large number of deaths in the village.
While noting that the village recorded 23 deaths from July to September 3, the Health Minister wanted to know why the officials had not been alert. He expressed unhappiness over the functioning of the district officials.
The minister also questioned what the local ASHA workers, ANMs, and medical officers had been doing.
Satya Kumar asked officials to take appropriate measures based on the results of blood tests at Guntur Medical College laboratory.
The Health Minister enquired about the status of kidney, sugar and blood pressure tests of the villagers.
Special Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Krishna Babu, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, Veerapandian and Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr G. Raghunandan participated in the review meeting.
Dr Raghunandan briefed the minister on his findings during the visit to the village.
A team of high-level officials led by the DME visited the village on Wednesday, met the families of the deceased, assessed sanitation issues, and urged villagers to seek medical care early.
He stated that the exact cause of death will be known after the blood test results are reviewed. The test results are expected on Saturday.
Health officials suspect melioidosis, a bacterial infection, in some cases. According to them, samples from 29 symptomatic individuals are being tested at Guntur Medical College’s microbiology lab.
Two melioidosis cases were detected in a private hospital, but confirmation awaits lab results. The patients currently under care at Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH) are stable.
The Health Minister ordered screening for residents of the village, including tests for kidney health and sugar levels.
The DME made it clear that there is no need for panic as melioidosis is treatable if diagnosed promptly.
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