Secunderabad Cantonment Board asleep, say residents as fevers spread

HYDERABAD: Urban primary health centres are the backbone of health services for the rural poor in the city. Then, where will they go if there aren't’ adequate centres to meet their needs? Especially during the monsoon season when the spread of viral fevers are diseases are rampant? For 4 lakh residents of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board, there are a mere 4 public health centres. This translates to 1 centre for a population of 1 lakh!

With the monsoon here, residents say that an average of 40-50 cases of fever is being reported now in each public health centre on a daily basis. They claim that the sanitation wing of the cantonment board ‘was sleeping’ and did not initiate a pre-monsoon sanitation drive to control the outbreak of diseases.

Some residents even alleged that sanitation wing staff were forging their signatures to falsely show that they had carried out fogging operations. “We suffer mosquito menace all around the year, not just during the monsoon. But, sanitation staff claim they have been doing fogging and anti-larval operations,” says S Savitha, an expecting mother residing in Rasoolpura.

“We are unable to step out in the evenings. Malaria and fevers accompanied by joint aches have become common in our area. We have no other place to go for treatment than these public health centres,” adds Savitha. B Anitha from Picket, who is also pregnant, says she has been falling ill frequently. “I am having sleepless nights because of fever, weakness, and diarrhea. Several others are suffering in our area.”

Speaking to Express, general physician at Rasoolpura health centre Dr. Y Sravanthi admitted that there is indeed a rise in the number of fever cases in the SCB. “Every day 40-50 patients come with symptoms of fever, joint pains etc. Earlier, there were only 10-15 patients. Most of the patients are pregnant women,” she says, adding that the issue of stagnant sewage water is not being addressed by the sanitation wing.