KENDRAPARA: More than 10 villages under Derabishi block in Kendrapara district are under the grip of suspected chickenpox cases as the Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Derabishi areas are now packed with patients.“A medical team from the district government hospital rushed to the villages to treat the patients. Chickenpox is an airborne disease which spreads easily through coughs and sneezes of an infected person and is also highly contagious for those who are not immune to it for which isolation of the patient is a primary step to check the spread.
Chickenpox has an incubation period of two-three weeks. While there is no medication to speed up the healing process of chickenpox, the itching and sores can be soothed with over-the-counter calamine lotion, said Kendrapara Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Baishnaba Charan Sahoo.Many villagers alleged that the authorities have failed to provide medical help to many villages as a result many persons are suffering from chickenpox.
“Chickenpox is spreading its tentacles in the villages as the authorities have failed to provide potable water to the people. A large number of tube-wells are not working and the authorities are yet to repair all the tube-wells as a result people are compelled to drink polluted water”, said Paresh Das, a social worker of Balia village.Many villagers of Balia, Chata, Panchupandab, Barimila, Nahanga, Mugabadi, Nikirei and Indupur are suffering from fever and joint pains, the symptoms of chickenpox.
Locals have alleged that they are not getting medicines freely from the hospitals for which they are being compelled to purchase medicines from outside. Poor villagers have no money to purchase medicines from the shops and as a result they are left to suffer.But the CDMO refuted the allegation of the villagers . “We have distributed medicines freely to the patients”, Dr Sahoo said.Due to non-availability of doctors at many Community Health Centres, gullible villagers are compelled to depend on village quacks. Several quacks have been minting money by providing improper treatment to the affected villagers, said Rabindra Sahoo of Balia.