KURNOOL: With the onset of the monsoon, several rural pockets of Kurnool have seen an alarming rise in dengue cases. At least 229 cases of dengue have been reported in the district since January. According to the medical and health department, Kurnool has recorded less number of cases compared to the previous year, when the district recorded nearly 316 dengue cases.
However, on average 36 cases are being reported every month this year compared to 26 cases in a month in 2022. Moreover, hundreds of suspected cases are being reported with symptoms similar to dengue. As many as 20 people have been admitted to Kurnool Government General Hospital (KGGH) with dengue symptoms in the past week.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior doctor in KGGH said that over five people with dengue symptoms are being admitted to the hospital on a daily basis. However, they were not confirmed due to delays in medical tests. The surge in cases linked to viral fever and mosquito-borne diseases has exposed the failure of district administration.
Lack of proper sanitation in rural areas, particularly in Adoni and Pathikonda divisions, has made the divisions report maximum dengue cases till now. Narrating his ordeal, Murali Krishna, a resident of G Singavaram village in the district, said, “Officials are supposed to clean drinking water sources every Friday. However, several officials and staff from concerned departments have not been doing so.”
He appealed to the higher officials to strictly monitor the situation in all these villages. Meanwhile, elaborating that the situation is under control, District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr Rama Giddaiah said that the cases of mosquito-borne diseases were being detected and that the staff of the medical department have been collecting samples from the people, especially those who report symptoms.