KOPPAL: A sudden viral fever has turned a temple into a hospital ward in Nerebenchi village of Kushtagi taluk in Koppal district. Over a hundred villagers are being treated here after the flu swept the village; the fever cases started a month ago but nobody took them seriously, including health department officials.
Quite suddenly, the number of cases crossed 100 in the past two days, prompting local health officials to shift some villagers to Bhimambika temple. The temple now resembles a ward with patients lying in a row, with some of them being administered IV fluids. Families of patients sit warily at a distance, as health staff have said it is a viral fever.
Nerebenchi village has a total population of 1,200 and no proper medical facility. The villagers complain that their surroundings and water are not clean, and there is a mosquito problem.
Health officials have sent some blood samples to Koppal. One case of chikungunya was reported on Thursday, and fearful villagers are demanding that patients be shifted to the taluk or district hospital for further treatment. Villagers fear the disease may claim their lives, though health officials have been instilling confidence in them. The entire village is under quarantine, with villagers maintaining distance from each other.
Blood samples collected
On Thursday, Kushtagi Tahsildar Ravi Angadi visited the village and inquired about the health of the villagers, and told health staff to shift the patients to the taluk hospital.
Koppal DHO Lingaraj T said, “We have collected blood samples and taluk health officials are at the village. We will take care to shift the patients to hospital soon.”