At least 161 tribal pregnant women, who included those whose expected date of delivery falls in this month, have been admitted to various hospitals in the Chintoor Agency in East Godavari district, which is simultaneously tackling the spread of COVID-19 and floods in the Godavari.
“A total of 103 pregnant women have been admitted to the Community Health Centre at Kunavaram, where they will be under the watch of doctors 24 x 7 until the floods subside and the Agency returns to normal,” ITDA-Chintoor Administrative Officer Kosa Raju told The Hindu.
On Sunday alone, 34 pregnant women were evacuated from the habitations badly affected by the floods.
There are 33 pregnant women in the Chintoor Area Hospital and 21 in the Primary Health Centre at Gowridevipeta.
Dedicated relief camps
The ITDA authorities have initially set up a dedicated relief camp for the pregnant women. However, they are being sent to the hospitals where they can be under the watch of the doctors.
“The village secretariat staff have been directed to ensure that every pregnant woman is sent to the hospital,” said ITDA-Chintoor Project Officer A. Venkata Ramana.
In the Rampa Agency, the officials are focusing on the pregnant women whose expected date of delivery falls only in August. By Sunday, as many as four women in their trimester have been evacuated to a dedicated relief camp in the Devipatnam mandal headquarters.
Evacuation intensified
Flood water has entered at least 12 tribal habitations in Devipatnam mandal, forcing the authorities to intensify the evacuation operation.
As per an official release issued by Project Officer of ITDA-Rampachodavaram C.V. Praveen Kumar, the 12 habitations affected were Penikelapadu, Toyyeru, Ganugolegondi, Moolapadu, Agraharam, Devipatnam, Enugulagudem, Posammagandi, S.C. Peta, Poodimalli, K. Veeravaram and Dandangi. A total of 33 habitations are likely to be affected in the days to come.
At least 17 boats and three tourist launches were pressed into service to evacuate the people from the affected habitations.
“A total of 345 members of the Medical and Health Department have been deputed in the 33 habitations facing the flood threat to ensure medical assistance to the needy until the evacuation operation is completed,” said Mr. Praveen Adithya.
Meanwhile, the flood mitigation officers have been procuring sand from the stock points to plug possible breaches to the riverbunds.