Dimapur, June 17 (MExN): Even while one reportedly died on June 16 around 3am, more than 10 deaths have been reported among children in Changlangshu village under Mon district while another estimated 300 is said to be seriously ill from various sicknesses especially measles, diarrhea, dysentery and likened water-borne diseases. Sources from the village confirmed the death of 10 children, all under the age of four years, since the past three weeks even while another died yesterday due to complications from a suspected dysentery case.
It was further informed that children of Changlangshu are suffering from acute sicknesses particularly measles. The children affected have been estimated around 300. Three children died within last week, somewhere between June 3 to June 5, sources added. There is a sub-health centre in the village but its staff Dr Verentena Angami, Pharmacist Ketholeho and a Nurse, who are posted there, shows up “once in a blue moon I think” according to a member of the Changlangshu students union. The three mentioned medical staffers of Changlangshu’s sub-centre are hardly seen in the village while the doctor visits the village “once in a blue moon I think”, it was added.
When contacted Y Pongba Konyak, president of Changlangshu Village Students Union (CVSU) confirmed the deaths of the children but expressed concern it might be more than 10 since it happened over a span of one month, with some going unreported. “There is an epidemic in the village. We want the government to send a medical team to the village at the earliest” Konyak appealed. The student leader expressed apprehension that at this rate if medical help is not extended, “all the children will die”. To the query why the deaths or the ‘epidemic’ is being reported only after the lapse of a considerable period of time, Pongba informed that Changlangshu village is one of the remotest areas in the district. It is located about 102 Kilometers away from Mon district headquarters. He also informed that a medical “team” consisting of two persons had visited the village last week but could not do much since there were so many children ill and medical supplies could not be made available to all of them. The CVSU has asked the concern medical authorities to visit the village with medical supplies at the earliest to contain the ‘epidemic’.
Meanwhile, the CVSU has asked the three medical staffers, Dr Verentena Angami, Pharmacist Ketholeho and the Nurse of Changlangshu Sub-health Centre to reach the village within 5 days from the issue of this notification. A circular was received here issued by the CVSU president which appealed to the State Medical Department authorities to dispatch a medical team to the village. It was appealed that they should camp for at least 4 to 5 days so as to check over all the children many of whose conditions are deteriorating. There are no medicines available, it was added.
