Andhra Pradesh Tragedy: 7-Year-old Tribal Girl Dies, Over 50 Hospitalised After Being Administered Pills During Anti-Malaria Drive

Polavaram: A tragic incident has come to light from Polavaram district in Andhra Pradesh. A seven-year-old girl has died after falling ill following the distribution of chloroquine tablets for fighting malaria in the village. Fifty-two others are being treated at a hospital and a local health centre. 47 of those hospitalised are children, while another 17 villagers were receiving medical attention at a special camp.

Chloroquine is an antiparasitic drug used to treat malaria. It works by increasing heme levels in the blood, which is toxic to the malaria parasite, ultimately killing it and preventing the infection from spreading.

Cause of death under probe

The exact cause of the child's death is being probed. The deceased has been identified as tribal girl Madivi Jamuna, who fell ill and lost consciousness after taking the tablet following a drop in her blood glucose levels. First, she was taken to a nearby primary health centre and later shifted to a higher medical facility for advanced treatment, but she died.

"The health condition of the patients currently undergoing treatment is stable. There is no need for people to panic," District Collector Dinesh Kumar said, as reported by NDTV.

Tablet batch sent for analysis

The collector said quality-control tests on the chloroquine tablets had shown satisfactory results. However, to determine the cause of the incident, the specific batch administered in the village has been sent to the Vizag Forensic Laboratory for further analysis.

Specialist teams reach village

A nine-member specialist team from Kakinada Government General Hospital has arrived in the village, while three additional teams from Vijayawada, Rajamahendravaram and Kakinada are set to join the team.