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Quackery adds to Covid toll in rural areas
ARA Ravi Shankar Singh (30), an employee of Indian Oil Corporation at Gidda in Bhojpur district, developed fever a few days back
ARA
Ravi Shankar Singh (30), an employee of Indian Oil Corporation at Gidda in Bhojpur district, developed fever a few days back. Instead of consulting doctors, he just visited the medicine shop and took medicines as advised by the shop owner. There was no relief and suddenly his oxygen level went down after a few days. He was rushed to Ara Sadar Hospital on May 10 but died on May 11, said his cousin R R Singh.
Chandan Singh of Chandi village said his uncle Arun Pratap Singh (45) developed fever, cold, cough and breathing problem in the last week of April. He took medicines as advised by quacks for a day and was rushed to a private clinic the very next day at Ara. All along, his oxygen level kept on falling. He was referred to Ara Sadar Hospital where he died.
In Chandi village of Bhojpur district alone, 10 people have died over the last three weeks, mostly affected with Covid symptoms, including falling oxygen level.
Pramod Singh of Chandi village said, “Out of them, seven to eight had breathing problems. Most of them instead preferred to take advice from quacks present at Chandi market. Those who died were mostly in the age group of 40 to 60 years.”
Jaga Kushwaha, a social activist and resident of Chandi, who also lost a relative to Covid-19, said almost 90% residents of adjoining villages had been suffering from fever, cough and breathing problems. “There is no doubt that the facilities of testing and treatment are limited, but the people at large are wary of getting tested for Covid-19. They rely on local quacks,” he says.
Kushwaha also blames the non-functional health centres as the reason behind people’s growing reliance on quacks.“There is a health and wellness centre at the village, but they are run by ANMs (auxiliary nursing midwifery). Doctor never comes,” he said.
Manju Devi, a resident of Narhi, adjacent to Chandi village, said the administration should distribute masks and sanitize the village, but it has not been done.
Dr Navin Kumar, in-charge of the nearest primary health centre at Koilwar, said health centres are run by ANMs themselves. “There are three doctors at PHC Koilwar. Doctors are not appointed at health centres. It is not possible for doctors to reach at each and every health centre under the PHC of Koilwar regularly. I have no information about deaths in large numbers at Chandi village,” said Dr Kumar.
Of late, Covid cases in districts with more rural population have been increasing. For example, on Friday, Begusarai reported 334 cases, Gaya 285, Madhubani 360, Samastipur 392, Vaishali 353 etc., to name a few.
Bhohpur reported 29 cases on Friday and its total active cases stood at 602. The district has so far reported 28 deaths.
Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, had recently raised the issue. “76% of the affected people in Bihar are now in rural areas, but there is no facility,” he said.
