A four-month-old girl from China Konela village of Anantagiri mandal in Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district died while undergoing treatment for malaria at a hospital in Vizianagaram district on Sunday evening.

There are three others from China Konela and one from Buriga who are undergoing treatment, according to the tribal people.

Sara Kothaiah, whose daughter died of malaria, said: “I had lost my son due to ill-health in the past and now I have lost my daughter.”

China Konela does not even have an ASHA (Accredited Social Health Assistant) worker, according to the tribal people.

Sara Kothaiah and his wife Sita made the headlines when they had to trek to China Konela up and down the hills through the forest, carrying the body of their son on their shoulders in April 2024. The Hindu reported the incident (‘Tribal man treks 8 km with body of his son to reach hill-top hamlet in ASR district’ ) in its edition dated April 10, 2024.

Mr. Kothaiah’s daughter was admitted to Gajapathinagaram Area Hospital on August 7. She was shifted to Gosha Hospital in Vizianagaram on August 10, where she died while undergoing treatment in the evening, according to the villagers.

Konaparthi Krupavani (7) and Somula Chinnamma (60), hailing from China Konela; and Somula Jersy (3) from Buriga are also undergoing treatment in the Area Hospital at Gajapathinagaram.

Krupavani’s father Simhachalam said that his daughter’s fever had subsided, and she was discharged from the hospital, when contacted by The Hindu on Monday evening.

Somula Adayya (22), his son Ganesh (3) and Somula Chinna Rao (9) are undergoing treatment at S. Kota Area Hospital.

Kotaparthi Sanyasi Rao (7), Kotaparthi Ravi (6) and Kotaparthi Supriya (7) are suffering from fevers. An ANM and Health Assistants from the Gummakota PHC gave them medicines three days ago, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, the tribal people have appealed to ASR District Collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar to visit the affected hamlets and order remedial measures. They also appealed to the authorities to conduct a medical camp in the affected hamlets.

The DM&HO of ASR district could not be reached on the phone for a comment.