Minister Narayana assures support to diarrhoea-hit families in Srikakulam

Visakhapatnam: State municipal administration and urban development minister P Narayana assured that the government would stand by the families affected by diarrhoea in Srikakulam town. On Wednesday, he visited the affected families in Dammalaveedhi and Kandraveedhi, where cases have been reported, along with district collector Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar and local MLA Gondu Shankar. During the visit, Narayana consoled the family members of Mandala Suresh, who died of diarrhoea, and assured them of full government support. He enquired about the circumstances leading to the death, and the family members explained their concerns and difficulties. Speaking to the media, Narayana said that nearly 100 cases have been reported due to the outbreak. "Abouty 80 people are receiving treatment at various health facilities. Except for two patients who are undergoing dialysis, all others are stable. Of the 80 patients, 45 can be discharged today itself. However, the district collector has ensured that they remain under observation for an additional day as a precaution. The district administration responded swiftly and admitted every affected patient to hospital. Door-to-door health teams were deployed and ambulances stationed in the affected areas. Preliminary testing of water samples did not reveal any abnormalities; however, the samples have been sent for further culture testing," he said. Narayana also visited patients undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital (RIMS) in Srikakulam. He interacted with each patient admitted and enquired about their condition. The minister also conducted a review meeting with officials and took stock of the situation. Earlier, the local MLA and district collector personally inspectied the situation in the affected areas. They interacted with family members to understand their concerns and assured them that there was no need to panic, as the government would stand by them and provide all necessary assistance. They advised residents to remain vigilant and strictly follow doctors' instructions.They directed officials to ensure improved medical care for the affected persons. They also issued key instructions to municipal staff and officials to undertake sanitation drives in every street, clean the drainage system, and ensure the supply of safe drinking water. Officials were instructed to ensure the availability of medicines and adequate medical staff, and to maintain continuous monitoring so that no negligence occurs.