Parbung (CCpur), April 22: The death toll of infants in Tipaimukh sub-division of Churachandpur district following the outbreak of a yet to be diagnosed disease continues to claim the lives of children, with one more child passing away early today morning.

With the latest casualty, the death toll of children, all below the age of one, has risen to 30 ever since the disease broke out during the last three/four months.

On the other hand, lack of medical care in the interiors of Churachandpur became palpably clear as it has been confirmed that no expectant mother has ever received the BCG and no child has been administered DPT vaccine to ensure the health of the child as well as the expecting mother.

It is however yet to be confirmed whether the lack of vaccination is in any way related to the deaths of the children.

Even as the Government is groping in the dark to ascertain the cause of the deaths as well as to confirm the veracity of the number of deaths, an 8 year old girl child passed away yesterday after mid-night at Lungthulien at Tipaimukh sib-division, which is situated a good 289 kms from the district headquarters.

The deceased child is identified as Lalunmoi.

The symptoms of the child included, vomiting, losing consciousness and extreme weakness coupled with high fever.

Interacting with this reporter, the people of Tipaimukh said the with the death of the 8 month old child, the number of children who have died in the past three/four months in the sub-division has risen to 30 . At Lungthulien alone the number of children who have died in the same period is nine.

Talking to this reporter, the father of the deceased girl said she had been ailing for the last one month.

A medical team from the State Government had examined her and prescribed some medicines, said the father Lalotshang further.

However they could not procure the medicines as the villagers are facing starvation following the bamboo flowering, said the bereaved father and added that going to Churachandpur headquarters or Mizoram to procure the medicines was beyond their means.

Explaining the situation in which the villagers are caught in, Lalotshang said that to buy medicines worth Rs 100, they have to spend at least Rs 1000 to travel to Churachandpur district headquarters.

If they opt to go to Mizoram then it entails spending one night there, he added.

The famine like situation following the bamboo flowering has only made matter worse, said the bereaved father and added that if they stop working for even a single day, then it would mean starving for the day.

Adding to the woes of the people is the lack of any medical facilities for the villagers and a tour around the villages of Tipaimukh revealed that no expecting mother has been given the BCG vaccine and no child DPT.

Since travelling to the district headquarters means incurring huge expenses, which the villagers just cannot afford, it means that delivery is mostly done at home with no medical care.

Since the expecting mothers and children are not administered any vaccine, it makes them all that more vulnerable in the event of the outbreak of any disease in the area.

Though a dispensary has been opened at Lungthulien, there is no building, no medicines and no health workers/doctors/nurses.

The nearest medical centre for the people of Lungthulien is Parbung which is about nine kms away.

Not surprisingly, the Community Health Centre at Parbung did not have any medicine stocks when the disease broke out.

However things have marginally improved at the CHC with some medicines available now.

The beds at the CHC have been taken away by security forces, said the villagers.

Seven children showing symptoms of the child who passed away last night at Lungthulien were found at Leisen and another one at Torbung.

To extend a helping hand to hapless villagers a medical team from RIMS today held a medical camp at Parbung Health Centre.

The team includes seven specialists in Medicine, Gynaecology, Paediatrics, ENT, Microbiology.

The medical camp was jointly organised by the Hmar Youth Association.

A large number of women along with their children turned up at the medical camp and the doctors said that they have detected similar symptoms in two or three children.

Similar medical camps will also be held in other villages.

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