Why have people fallen sick after Chloroquine administration in Andhra Pradesh | Explained
A medical camp in Andhra Pradesh resulted in the death of a child and the hospitalization of dozens of others following the administration of Chloroquine. Health officials are investigating the incident, which occurred in a region where the drug is routinely used to treat and prevent malaria.
Why it matters
It raises critical concerns regarding public health safety protocols and the administration of essential medicines in rural, malaria-prone regions.
On Tuesday (September 1, 2026) morning, the medical camp at Gollaguppa village in Yetapaka mandal of Polavaram district looked like any routine camp held across the agency areas of the undivided districts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, and East and West Godavari. But a pall of gloom descended on the camp by afternoon following the death of a seven-year-old girl, Madivi Jamuna. She was not alone — 52 others had taken ill, 47 of whom are children.
Polavaram District Collector K. Dinesh Kumar said on Wednesday (September 2, 2026): “As many as 23 children have been shifted from Lakshmipuram PHC to Bhadrachalam Area Hospital for better medical treatment.”
The cause of Madivi’s death and the sudden illness of the others is attributed to the administration of Chloroquine tablets.
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