Chicken guinea adds to farmer woes
Haima Deshpande
Tuesday, April 11, 2006 00:20 IST
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LATUR: The fast spreading ?chikungunya? (Chicken Guinea) fever which has severely affected eight districts in Maharashtra is pushing the affected poor towards a new debt trap. With entire families falling prey to this fever, the already cash-strapped farmers and the landless are rushing to moneylenders to meet the expenses.
The National Institute of Virology (NIV) - the only testing centre in the State - has declared eight districts in Maharashtra as severely affected by Chicken Guinea. Among the affected are: Latur, Nasik, Jalna, Solapur, Beed, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Ahmednagar, Parbhani and Washim. So far 1,500 samples collected by the health department have been sent to NIV for testing. Incidentally, there is a larger outbreak of Chicken Guinea in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Private medical practice has emerged as one of the most lucrative business in the districts. With Chicken Guinea statistics on the rise, private hospitals across the districts are charging exorbitant fees to treat the cases. It is little wonder that those like Hanumant Bandose have to shell out Rs1,700 for three bottles of saline drip and two strips of Crocin.
Dr Doke confessed that it is difficult to control the charges at private hospitals during an outbreak.
But for those like Bandose - who has already seen crop failures for two consecutive years - the burden of another debt of Rs20,000 will be crushing. ?Five members of my family are taking treatment in a private hospital. I have already paid Rs 5,000. I am not sure if I can pay the hospital bills,? said a dejected Bandose. Despite the cash crunch, his family chose a private hospital over the government facility as the latter did not have the facilities.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1023446
Haima Deshpande
Tuesday, April 11, 2006 00:20 IST
Email Article Print Article
Most Emailed Articles RSS Feed
Most Viewed Articles Search This Site
LATUR: The fast spreading ?chikungunya? (Chicken Guinea) fever which has severely affected eight districts in Maharashtra is pushing the affected poor towards a new debt trap. With entire families falling prey to this fever, the already cash-strapped farmers and the landless are rushing to moneylenders to meet the expenses.
The National Institute of Virology (NIV) - the only testing centre in the State - has declared eight districts in Maharashtra as severely affected by Chicken Guinea. Among the affected are: Latur, Nasik, Jalna, Solapur, Beed, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Ahmednagar, Parbhani and Washim. So far 1,500 samples collected by the health department have been sent to NIV for testing. Incidentally, there is a larger outbreak of Chicken Guinea in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Private medical practice has emerged as one of the most lucrative business in the districts. With Chicken Guinea statistics on the rise, private hospitals across the districts are charging exorbitant fees to treat the cases. It is little wonder that those like Hanumant Bandose have to shell out Rs1,700 for three bottles of saline drip and two strips of Crocin.
Speaking to DNA, Maharashtra?s director general of Health Services, Dr P P Doke, said, ?We are aware that the private hospitals are charging high fees, but it is the choice of the people. Though every patient does not need intravenous fluids, they are being administered all the same.?
Dr Doke confessed that it is difficult to control the charges at private hospitals during an outbreak.
But for those like Bandose - who has already seen crop failures for two consecutive years - the burden of another debt of Rs20,000 will be crushing. ?Five members of my family are taking treatment in a private hospital. I have already paid Rs 5,000. I am not sure if I can pay the hospital bills,? said a dejected Bandose. Despite the cash crunch, his family chose a private hospital over the government facility as the latter did not have the facilities.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1023446