RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, and Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav on Wednesday stepped up monitoring of the Gollaguppa incident in Yetapaka mandal of ASR district, where a seven-year-old girl, Madivi Jamuna, died and 53 people reportedly fell ill after consuming malaria-prevention tablets.
Polavaram Collector K Dinesh Kumar, who visited the Bhadrachalam Area Hospital on Wednesday morning to inspect the medical facilities, assured that there was no need to panic and that the situation is fully under control. He confirmed that all affected patients are recovering quickly and their condition is stable.
As a precautionary measure, 24 patients undergoing treatment at Lakshmipuram PHC were shifted to the Bhadrachalam Area Hospital, bringing total number of patients to 52. Three specialised medical teams from the State level, Kakinada, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada, along with three pediatricians, are monitoring the patients. A dedicated medical camp also remains operational at Gollaguppa.
Briefing the Health Minister, the Collector said doctors suspect a cardiac issue in Jamuna’s death. Two infants in her family had earlier died of unknown causes, prompting tests for genetic cardiac conditions and possible chloroquine-induced arrhythmia. Vomiting is a known medication side-effect. Tablet samples were sent to a Vizag laboratory for analysis.
The Chief Minister directed district authorities to provide top-quality medical care and ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. Expressing condolences to the deceased child’s family, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan instructed officials to conduct door-to-door health screenings across Gollaguppa.
