Govt apathy in bird flu death alarming

Narasaraopet, April 4: Former MLA Dr. Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy slammed the coalition government for its negligence after a two-year-old girl in Narasaraopet died of bird flu—India’s second confirmed fatality. Despite ICMR confirming the cause, the government failed to alert the public or respond. He questioned the silence of the local MLA, a doctor himself, for misleading the public by denying the bird flu link.
Dr. Gopireddy revealed that chickens had died nearby days earlier, suggesting a local outbreak. Yet, the Health Minister or officials have not visited the area. Unlike the previous YSRCP regime, which conducted regular health checks through volunteers, the current government dismantled the system, leaving public health in disarray.
He also criticized the delay in Aarogyasri payments and lack of medicines in government hospitals, forcing patients to be turned away. The failure to declare Narasaraopet an infection zone even after a confirmed death reflects utter government apathy.