MEASLES OUTBREAK IN KASHIPUR

There has been an outbreak of measles epidemic in some village sof Kodipari Gram Panchayat area of Kashipur block of Rayagada since one week. According to reports there have been four deaths so far from post measles complications. The district administration has focused on the group of villages, i.e, Railghati, Silapas, perpa, Lundrukonda, Paika Kupakhal and some more village sin the vicinity and established a temporary treatment centre. Since measles is an airborne disease, the spread is rapid and the age group between 2 to 5 is majorly affected by it. The most commonest complication of measles is pneumonia and most of the deaths that have been reported are because of that. The terrain in this area is very unfriendly and its take smile sof walking before we can reach these villages from the nearest road point. added to this is the predominance of traditional beliefs, such as consulting a shaman, bathing the sick child with cold water in fornt of the deity and repulsion for the medicines given. The district administration has been informed that in many cases people have not given the medicine to their children affected with measles. There have aslo been reports from the health dept that some parents have ran away from the PHC, where the sick children were given treatment, for reasons best known to them. It is becoming daunting task for the administration to check this menace in the given circumstances. However the district administration is confident of controlling the spread in another 3-4 of days, CDMO Rayagada said. The details of the ground situation and the effort sof the district administration is given above.