NUAPADA: An unexplained spike in paralysis cases among people aged between 40 and 50 in Paraskhol village of Nuapada block has medical professionals puzzled.
Over the last few years, incidences of partial and full paralysis have been steadily rising in the village. On Tuesday, a medical team visited the village to investigate the alarming trend and review the crisis. As per locals, the condition has been surfacing inexplicably, leaving families devastated in the village inhabited by around 1,500 people. Many of the victims, previously healthy, have suddenly lost mobility, prompting fears of a potential underlying environmental or health-related issue.
Some villagers suspect water contamination or poor nutrition could be the contributing factors while others believe the issue could be linked to genetic or neurological conditions. The affected families are getting anxious as the cases continue to rise, with no signs of the situation improving. “For the last few years, we have seen many of our neighbours and relatives becoming paralysed. We don’t understand why this is happening and we are scared it could affect more people,” said a villager.
For around 10 years, Denuram Sahu and his wife Birjo Bai in their late 50s are going through a tough time after suffering from paralysis. While Denuram suffered partial paralysis, her wife was left bed-ridden due to the condition. With both their daughters married, Denu Ram is left alone to take care of himself and his ailing wife. The couple depends on their old-age pension to make ends meet. At least 40 others from the village are going through similar ordeal.
Local health officials dispatched a team to Paraskhol to assess the situation firsthand. The team conducted collected data to better understand the causes of the trend. While no immediate conclusions were drawn, they assured the villagers that further investigation would be carried out and water quality tests and checks carried out to verify possible neurological or environmental causes.
Dr Biren Bag, who led the team said, “We investigated a few cases today but our inquiry is not over yet. We assume not all cases are of paralysis but high blood pressure was common among many patients. We will conduct a few other tests tomorrow and investigate the other cases before analysing the situation and then submit a report to the CDM&PHO.”
A senior health officer from Nuapada speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated, “The surge in paralysis cases in Paraskhol is concerning. We are looking into potential factors, including nutrition, environmental hazards and undiagnosed diseases. We will wait for the report to plan and provide necessary medical interventions.” The findings from the medical review are expected to provide a clearer picture of the situation and help authorities implement preventive measures to stem the spread of this alarming health issue.