10-year-old dies due to sickle cell disease in Attappadi; third fatality in a month

Agali: Another tragic case of sickle cell anemia-related death was reported in Attapadi on Wednesday, marking the third such fatality in the area within the past 30 days.

The victim, Amritha Lakshmi (10), was a third-grade student at Agali Government LP School.

On Wednesday, at 8.30 a.m., she was taken to Kottathara Taluk Tribal Specialty Hospital after being found in a lifeless state. At the hospital, doctors had confirmed the death. Agali police had shifted the body to Palakkad District Hospital Mortuary. The body was handed over to relatives after the postmortem. 

Previously, on May 31, two other people had died in Attapadi due to sickle cell disease. The deceased were identified as Soumya (25) and Valli (26). Valli had a congenital anomaly. 

She is survived by her parents, Vellinkari and Kaliyamma, and five siblings. She had shown no symptoms other than body pain. Her mother, Kaliyamma, and her siblings, Manikandan (9), Shivakami (12), Krishnaveni (6), and Meenakshi (5), are also suffering from the disease. 

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. In Attapadi, currently, 224 tribal people have been diagnosed with this disease. A drug called hydroxyurea is given to patients with sickle cell disorder.

It can be fatal if not treated properly. There are no specific schemes introduced in Attapadi to recognize people with the disease.