12-Year-Old Tribal Welfare School Student Dies of Malaria in Andhra Pradesh
A 12-year-old girl, Madakam Nandini, a seventh-class student at the Kamayyakunta Tribal Welfare Girls Ashram School in Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh, has died of malaria. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges in healthcare access for tribal communities.
Nandini, a resident of Puliramudugudem village in Buttaigudem mandal, had been suffering from fever for several days. She was initially treated at the K.R. Puram Primary Health Centre (PHC) and later referred to other hospitals in the Agency area. Her condition worsened, and she was transferred to a hospital in Koyyalagudem, where she died while undergoing treatment on July 24.
P. Jagannadha Rao, Deputy Director of the Eluru District Tribal Welfare Department, confirmed that Nandini tested positive for malaria. 'Her condition deteriorated due to a drastic fall in platelet count,' he said on Saturday.
The death underscores the vulnerability of children in remote tribal areas to vector-borne diseases and the need for improved healthcare infrastructure. Authorities have not reported any lapses in treatment but have assured a thorough review.
