Amravati, 25 February (IANS). The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday suspended the Srikakulam Municipal Commissioner following a diarrhea outbreak in the city that has left one person dead and dozens hospitalised.
Municipal commissioner Kurma Rao has been suspended for negligence in connection with the outbreak, officials said.
Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration, Suresh Kumar issued an order to suspend the Municipal Commissioner.
For the last few days, cases of diarrhea are being reported from various parts of Srikakulam city.
According to Srikakulam District Collector Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar, 76 suspected cases have been identified so far.
Of these, 54 patients are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals, while one patient, who was suffering from other diseases, has died.
Two patients are on ventilator support, and the medical team is closely monitoring their condition.
Officials have collected water samples from the affected areas and sent them to laboratories in Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam for testing.
Preliminary tests conducted at the Srikakulam laboratory did not reveal any contamination, while the report from the Visakhapatnam laboratory is still awaited.
The health department has set up medical camps in the affected areas and the state government has announced that it will bear the cost of treatment of patients admitted in private hospitals.
Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders, including former ministers Dharamana Krishna Das, Dharamana Prasad Rao and Dr Sidiri Appala Raju, have held the state government responsible for the outbreak.
After visiting the affected areas, he interacted with the families and took stock of the ground situation.
YSRCP leaders alleged that contaminated drinking water was the main reason for the spread of the disease.
He also claimed that four people have died so far and many others are undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals.
The former ministers accused the government of trying to attribute the deaths to pre-existing health problems instead of accepting responsibility.
Dharamana Prasad Rao said 61 cases of diarrhea have been reported in the last 20 months, including cases in government schools and hostels. He called it a sign of administrative failure.
He demanded immediate relief and a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for each victim’s family.
Dr. Sidiri Appala Raju alleged that early warnings given by local media were ignored and claimed that efforts were made to downplay the number of deaths.
Opposition leaders demanded a high-level investigation, accountability of officials and immediate measures to ensure safe drinking water supply.
–IANS
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