ADILABAD: After recording its first case of malaria recently, health officials in Adilabad district seem to be going the extra mile to protect the people in remote areas from vector-borne diseases.
District Medical Officer (DMO) and a paramedical team took a bullock cart to a remote Agency village after a child tested positive for malaria. Speaking to Express, DMO Dr Sridhar Metpalliwar said a seven-year-old, Y Amrutha, tested positive for Plasmodium Falciparum — the parasite which causes malaria. The child is being treated at the RIMS.
Soon after this came to light, the DMO and a team of paramedics set out to visit the patient’s village, which is about 30 km from the Adilabad district headquarters. But their vehicle could only go up to Inkarguda village in Indervelli mandal as there is no road connectivity beyond this point.
Dhanora (K) villagers arranged for a bullock cart for the senior official and the team, using which the latter covered the remaining 2.5 km of their journey. They reached the village after more than one hour and conducted anit-larval operation and indoor residential spray (IRS) in all the houses. They also spoke to the people about vector-borne diseases and distributed mosquito nets.
This is not the first time that a health team has taken an unconventional mode of transport to create awareness among villagers. Recently, a team visited the tribal hamlet of Lakkampur village in Sirikonda mandal by crossing a river in a country boat.