LAMGUNJ, Feb 8: The government has planned to provide elephantiasis medication to 150,000 people in the district. The three-day campaign will kick off on 24 February.
Healthy children above two years of age and adults will be given the medication. Elderly people who have severe health problems won't be insisted to take the medicine, health workers said.
Govt to provide medicine against elephantiasis from February 23
A total of 416 health workers and 1,155 volunteers have been deployed for the task, according to the district public health office. Last year, 120,806 people were provided with the medication. “This time, the number we target is 158,884 people,” said Keshav Prasad Chaulagain, senior public health officer.
Children below two years of age, pregnant women, nursing mothers will not be given the medication. Those suffering from serious diseases cannot take medicine either, according to him.
“Health workers and volunteers will visit door-to door and give the medicine. Our goal is to meet the target number,” Chaulagain said.
Following 'negative effects' of the medication in the past, people continue to be skeptical about it even now. According to Chaulagain, educated people are more reluctant to take the medicine. “But we try to convince them. People should understand that even if one person is left out, it could create huge problems in fighting the disease,” he noted.
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