Rayagada: Health officials have not conducted vaccination in Munushpadar and 11 other villages under Dangasil panchayat in Kashipur block of Rayagada district where diphtheria has claimed the lives of five kids and affected many. This was confirmed by Public Health Officer Dr Mamata Choudhury during a district-level meeting on disaster mitigation, Tuesday.
Earlier, it was alleged that diphtheria could spread in Munushpadar village as children had not been vaccinated. She said that children were required to be given DPT vaccines but no vaccination was conducted in as many as 12 remote villages including Munushpadar. This happened as Health personnel did not visit Munushpadar village located in a remote region. Chatters were abuzz that a host of diseases had been spreading in various parts of the district at different points of time due to the negligence of the Health department.
Sources said MLA Appala Swamy Kadraka visited Munushpadar village and took stock of the situation after diphtheria started spreading in the village. He alleged, that not a single child has been given a vaccine under the government’s vaccination programme. The Health Department came on its toes after the startling revelation of the MLA. A probe was conducted which nailed the lies of the Health department’s tall claims of total vaccination under Mission Indradhanush.