Not a healthy year for Bangaloreans

Not a healthy year for Bangaloreans

Afshan Yasmeen

A major enteritis outbreak followed by the hooch tragedy marked the beginning of the year

Bangalore: 2008 was not healthy for Bangaloreans. Beginning with a major outbreak of gastroenteritis, the year witnessed the hooch tragedy, outbreak of dengue, chikungunya and leptospirosis, affecting several people. It ended with a jolted national Pulse Polio campaign.

In January, following water contamination in Bharatinagar and surrounding areas, more than 1,500 people became victims of gastroenteritis. A few cases tested positive for cholera too.

This outbreak brought to focus the appalling living conditions of residents of Thimmiah Road, Seppings Road, Bharatinagar and Nehrupuram as each family had at least one member down with gastroenteritis.
Hooch tragedy

The hooch tragedy that was reported on May 19 in Devarajeevanahalli (D.J. Halli) took away breadwinners, parents and caretakers of many children. More than 130 people in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu died after drinking the killer brew. Later in the month, the Central Crime Branch police arrested Soundar Rajan, who allegedly sold the killer brew in D.J. Halli.
Chikungunya

This was followed by the outbreak of chikungunya in mid June, affecting more than 200 people in Srirampuram, Laxminarayanpuram, Bashyamnagar, Sevashram, Okalipuram, Nagappa Block and surrounding areas of Gandhinagar and Malleshwaram constituencies in the city.

Then, the outbreak of dengue in October from across the city. Nearly 50 cases tested positive for the viral disease. While most cases were from the low-lying areas of Ashoknagar, Jaibheemnagar, Ejipura, Viveknagar, Hoskerehalli, Ittamadu, Malleshwaram and surrounding areas, some were reported from Nelamangala and neighbouring villages of Bangalore Urban district.

Even before the incidences of dengue and chikungunya subsided, hospitals in Bangalore recorded cases of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease commonly known as rat fever. Nearly 40 cases were reported causing a sense of fear among Bangaloreans.
Closure order

In early December, 14 government hospitals incurred the wrath of the Lok Adalat, which ordered their closure for not having liquid waste disposal and treatment plants on their premises. The order was recalled following an appeal by the State health authorities giving more time to the hospitals to set up such plants.
Setback

The national Pulse Polio programme received a major setback after rumours that some children had taken ill after being administered polio drops.

The hysteria, whipped up by a TV channel, created panic among the people who rushed to hospitals to get their children examined all through the night on December 21 when the campaign was carried out. With stiff resistance from the people, the door-to-door campaign was held up on the first day and partially taken up on the next two days.

The year also witnessed the launch of some welfare schemes for the poor and accident victims. A round-the-clock emergency response service, “Arogya Kavacha 108”, was launched in November. Aimed at dealing with emergencies such as road accidents and fire disasters, the service includes a fully equipped modern ambulance that will reach the accident spot within 20 minutes in urban areas and in 30 minutes in rural areas.

The medical staff in the ambulance will not only transport the affected persons to hospital, but also provide pre-hospitalisation treatment free of cost. The project, which is taken up by the State Government in partnership with the Hyderabad-based Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), covers five districts. The Government, in association with the Centre, also launched Arogya Suraksha Yojane, a health insurance scheme for poor families. Under the scheme, the Government will provide medical insurance of Rs. 1 lakh to each poor family.