Gollaguppa Health Alert: Girl Dies, 53 Under Treatment After Chloroquine Dose

Health authorities have intensified their response in Gollaguppa village of Etapaka mandal after several people were taken ill following the distribution of chloroquine tablets as part of a malaria-control programme. A seven-year-old girl died after falling seriously ill, while the remaining patients receiving treatment are stable, according to Collector K. Dinesh Kumar.

The Collector visited the Bhadrachalam Area Hospital on Wednesday, where several residents from the village have been admitted as a precaution. He met the patients and their families, reviewed the treatment being provided and held discussions with doctors about their health condition.

Officials said chloroquine tablets had been distributed in the village as part of malaria control and fever surveillance measures, with doses administered according to the prescribed medical protocol and the age of the recipients.

The situation came under greater scrutiny after seven-year-old Jamuna fell seriously ill after taking the medicine. She reportedly lost consciousness and was found to have low blood glucose levels. After receiving initial treatment at a Primary Health Centre, she was shifted to Bhadrachalam Area Hospital for specialised care, where she later died.

As a precaution, 54 residents were brought to the hospital. Of them, 53 are currently under medical observation, including 48 children and five adults. The Collector said their health condition was stable. Meanwhile, a separate medical camp has been arranged in the village to monitor and treat another 17 residents.

The exact cause of Jamuna's death is still being investigated. Medical examinations and post-mortem procedures are underway. According to the Collector, doctors have made a preliminary assessment that the child may have had an underlying familial or genetic cardiac condition.

Doctors are also examining whether such a condition could have contributed to cardiac arrhythmia after the administration of chloroquine. However, officials stressed that no final clinical conclusion had been reached and that further investigation was required.

The Collector said the tablets had been administered only in the prescribed dosage and that earlier quality-control tests on the medicines had returned satisfactory results. To rule out any other possibility, the batch of tablets used in the village has now been sent to the Visakhapatnam Forensic Laboratory for detailed examination.

Health officials are now preparing individual health profiles for nearly 270 residents of Gollaguppa. Screening is being carried out to identify conditions such as sickle cell anemia, underlying illnesses and other comorbidities that may require special medical attention.