Health workers take treacherous routes to reach people in flood-hit villages in Telangana
Health workers take treacherous routes to reach people in flood-hit villages in Telangana
Working flood situation in the state It has emerged as a challenge for health workers in the state. Many villages are inaccessible by road due to overflow. Wherever road access is possible, four wheelers are used. Sometimes they even have to pass by boats. But often, healthcare workers are forced to take treacherous routes to walk through knee-deep and even waist-deep waters to deliver medical services. If there is no water, the roads are filled with mud and sludge, forcing them to walk on foot to reach those in need of medical help.
Doctors and health workers say that their heart stays in their mouth while passing through flowing rivers. Apart from the fear of being washed away, there is also the danger of encountering reptiles and wild boar on the way to the villages situated in the hilly areas.
Auxiliary nurse midwives and accredited social health workers are about to take the boat to organize a medical camp at Ethuranagaram mandal. Photo: Special Arrangements
Unprecedented rains in recent days have inundated many villages and made access to the areas inaccessible, but this has only increased the need for medical services. There is a constant threat of water borne and vector borne diseases like typhoid and dengue. Also, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic diseases need attention as they have missed regular health check-ups.
Overcoming all odds, health department staff are traveling to vulnerable villages, carrying medicines and even holding medical camps.
T. Prabhakar Reddy, District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) of Kumaram Bheem Asifabad, says that roads in three villages were cut due to excess water. “So we took a tractor to two villages and organized medical camps there,” he said. Not only this, the sources of drinking water in both the villages were contaminated. Health workers advised residents to boil, cool and filter bore water before drinking. Chlorine tablets were also distributed.
A health team escorts a pregnant woman from Narsapur J village to a safe place in a four wheeler after roadways are cut off due to an overflow. Photo: Special Arrangements
Recently, medical teams, along with other staff from other departments, had to shift a pregnant woman from Bhibra village to a government health facility in Mancherial. Unfortunately, the child did not survive. However, the mother’s condition is stable.
A medical officer of Narasapur tribal primary health centre, J Himabindu said that they had to cross three brooks to conduct a medical camp at Baojipeta in Ichoda mandal of Adilabad. “Generally, the water flow is not strong. So the bike can move. Since there is a possibility of vehicles slipping off the road, we had to pass through the water. Some pregnant women missed health tests. We have provided them medical services,” said Dr Himabundu, who traveled with two health assistants and an accredited social health worker.