Lower Dibang Valley district witnesses rise in diseases

Itanagar, Aug 14 (UNI) Increasing cases of malaria, tuberculosis and other water-borne diseases has been reported in Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunahal Pradesh. According to sources Hunli primary health centre (PHC) in the district was running without blood examination laboratory and sputum test facilities, while shortage of life saving drugs and medical staff has compounded the problem in the hospital.

Moreover, the condition of the Desali health sub centre, which has no road connectivity, was more alarming, sources added.

"We need permanent laboratory to detect malaria and tuberculosis.

The poor patients could not afford to go to the district headquarters from such an inaccessible place simply for a test," said Dr Muchu Mihu, medical officer (MO) of Hunli PHC.

Demanding the authorities to take immediate steps to dispatch life saving drugs and other medical equipments to contain the epidemic, the MO said that recently a team of doctors from district hospital conducted a special blood and sputum test and detected 39 cases of malaria and 10 cases of tuberculosis in the area.

However, so far no deaths have been reported in the area so far, he added.

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