Demanding that the Telangana government declare a health emergency in the State, the Congress accused the State and Centre of negligence towards dengue related deaths.
Congress leaders including AICC Secretary R C Khuntia and TPCC Working President Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka visited Ravinuthala village at Bonakal mandal in the Khammam district which has reportedly been gripped by an epidemic-like situation with dengue cases hitting an all-time high.
They consoled the families of the deceased and also the hundreds of patients who were suffering from the disease at the Bonakal Hospital.
Speaking on the occasion, Khuntia said that AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi and AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had asked him to visit Dengue patients in Khammam, after the issue was brought to their notice by TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
He mocked Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and said that the latter was busy with surveys and awards, forgetting dengue victims.
"According to official records, 21 people have died in Bonakal mandal alone, and hundreds of people died in other parts of the State due to Dengue. Thousands of people across the State are undergoing treatment for the same. The Chief Minister and the Health Minister have failed to initiate steps to control the spread of the disease in Telangana," Khuntia alleged.
He demanded that the government pay Rs. 20 lakhs ex-gratia to the bereaved families, and conduct special medic camps at the place of the outbreak.
He said that he would submit a report on the issue to the Gandhi family. The Congress would pull up the Centre on the issue in the upcoming session of Parliament.
Vikramarka promised the patients that the Congress would strive to provide better medical care to them by pressurizing the State government. He said that it was unfortunate that the government was failing to provide health care facilities to patients even as hundreds were dying and thousand others were being admitted to hospitals.
He alleged that hospital administrations were collecting more than Rs. 2 lakhs from dengue patients.
In view of this, he asked KCR to respond immediately and declare a state of medical emergency.