Mystery fever: Death toll continues to rise by Faiz Rahman Siddiqui


Total toll from `mysterious’ fever continued to escalate with 13 more deaths reported from Ramabai Nagar district ( Kanpur Dehat) on Sunday. More and more persons infected with the unidentified virus flocked the district hospital in Akbarpur. So far, 256 persons have already died during the past few days.

"My one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Supriya has died in the absence of proper treatment. My neighbour’s children– Lalit (8) and Neelu (10)– also died due to the same disease on Sunday," said Shiv Pyari, the mother of Supriya who was found in an inconsolable state outside the district hospital.

"Nobody is taking care of us as we are poor. Where can we get the money to avail better treatment in private hospital?" lamented Rakesh of Sikandara village. His relative Lakshmi (55) died on Sunday.

Similarly, four deaths were reported from Rajpur village on Sunday– viz Feroz (28), Simran (7) Munnu (1) and Isa (7). There are around 12 reeling from the fever in the same village.

"The new public health centres (PHC) in Sandalpur, Ursan, Musanagar, Gujrain, Kurwa Khurd and Baraur are operating without doctors and proper para-medical staff. Doctors sit at their private dispensaries in other villages. Our loved ones have died for no fault of theirs. Even none of the senior representatives from the state came here to take a note of the situation," said Kamlesh, a social activist and a resident of Ahrauli Sheikh village, while talking to TOI.

Sahil (8) of Hajipur, Guddu Chaubey (30) of Raniya, Anwar (45) of Rasoolabad, Afsana ( 28) and Afroz (5) of Lalu Gaon were other persons who fell a victim to the unknown disease today.

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