With Japanese Encephalitis claiming 32 lives in Odisha's Malkangiri district, Congress leader Pradeep Majhi today led a sit-in demanding Rs 5 lakh compensation to each of victim's family and vaccination of children in the district.
The toll due to the disease which stood at 30 till yesterday rose to 32 following the death two children, said Chief District Medical Officer of Malkangiri, U S Mishra.
Hitting out at the state government for the disease remaining unchecked, Congress leader and former MP Majhi and other party leaders staged a dharna with the bodies of the two children near the district Collector's residence demanding compensation.
The Congress leader also demanded immediate steps to fill all vacant posts of doctors in the district and provide a helicopter to quickly shift affected children to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
As the disease has spread alarmingly in 21 villages under six blocks of the tribal-dominated district, Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Health Secretary Arti Ahuja undertook a two-day visit to the disease-hit areas on Monday and yesterday to take stock of the situation.
Ahuja said since there was no effective treatment for Japanese Encephalitis, the focus was on checking the spread of the disease.
She said arrangements have been made to isolate pigs from human habitations while the district administration has been asked to ensure that no sale of pork be allowed in the region. Medical teams have been sent to the affected villages for taking preventive measures.
In all 50,000 mosquito nets have been distributed in the affected villages, officials said.
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