THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, June 12: Garhwa health officials are closely monitoring the health of the fruit bats’ eaters.
A bizarre incident happened last month when 13 residents of Sundipur confessed to having eaten the dead fruit bats.
Scores of fruit bats had died in a very enigmatic situation when Garhwa was reeling under a severe heatwave.
Medical team was rushed to Sundipur
The medical team led by the district epidemiologist, Dr Santosh Mishra, which rushed there under orders of DC Shekhar Jamuar was stunned to find as many as 13 people who after a lot of persuasions and counselling had agreed not to tell a lie admitting that they have eaten the dead fruit bats.
Two women also confessed to having eaten dead fruit bats. All the 13 were tested for their blood then.
Samples of blood and urine
Quite recently, Dr Mishra and his team again reached Sundipur and took samples of blood and urine of 8 fruit bat eaters as 5 other eaters might have gone outside for wages or deliberately didn’t turn up before this team.
“The samples were collected and as per protocol, laid for virological examination, sent to the National Institute of Virology Pune,” said Dr Mishra.
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Dr Mishra said these 8 and 5 more who had admitted to having eaten the dead fruit bats are doing fine with no health issues but their health continues to be a top priority for the civil and health administration here.
It was Garhwa DC Shekhar Jamuar who almost spurred everyone right from the civil surgeon Dr Ashok Kumar to Kandee BDO Aftab Alam to rush to Sundipur as to how locals there had so behaved by eating the flesh of the dead fruit bats.
No superficial dealing
Everyone did his job well. There was no superficial dealing anywhere. District epidemiologist Dr Santosh Mishra and his team from Majhiaon jointly conducted first an eye audit of the health of the 13 and then collected their blood samples.
Dr Mishra said those who ate dead fruit bats now repent and curse themselves for doing such a foolish act to themselves and others at Sundipur.
A one-time dish of dead bats continues to haunt them.
The civil and health officials are doing all to allay their fears and build up their confidence that their health matters most to the administration.
