Odisha Alerts Districts Against Spread Of Cholera, Death Count At 11 So Far
Bhubaneswar:
With 10 per cent of the samples testing positive for the deadly Vibrio Cholera virus, the Odisha government on Tuesday put all the 30 districts on alert against the spread of the water-borne disease which has so far claimed 11 lives and infected over 2,000 people across the coastal region.
The disease, which broke out in the form of diarrhoea in Jajpur district on June 9, has so far spread to other districts including Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Cuttack. Some other districts have also reported sporadic cases of diarrhoea while samples collected from Jajpur detected the cholera virus.
Speaking to media persons here, state Health and Family Welfare Secretary Aswathy S said cholera was found in 10 per cent of the total samples sent from different areas for testing.
About 300 people were affected by diarrhoea in these districts on Tuesday, besides the existing cases, she said.
The spread of the disease has prompted the state government to put all collectors on alert asking them to take preventive measures at least for a week.
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling said, "The situation is under control and the government has been putting efforts to break the chain and stop the spread of the disease." Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja held a meeting with the district collectors through video conferencing in the presence of health department officers here on Tuesday.
"We have issued instructions to all district collectors and district-level health officers to continue disinfection drives, cleanness activities, and mobilisation of Anganwadi & ASHA workers for at least a week," Aswathy said.
However, the people with mild diarrhoea (early stage) have started visiting the hospitals, which is a positive sign, Aswathy said.
Massive awareness campaigns for maintaining personal hygiene and drinking safe water are underway in the rural pockets of the five districts, she said, adding, the situation will be reviewed every day at state and district levels.
The secretary further informed that the central team, which has been in Odisha for the past two days, again visited Jajpur district on Tuesday and they will have a meeting with Odisha government officials on Wednesday.
Stating that the disease did not outbreak from one source, she said, "Therefore, we have to disinfect all sources." The cases of hospitalisation have come down. However, there is a possibility of re-infection. Therefore, people have been appealed to follow the health advisory of the government, Aswathy said.
Four state-level teams have been sent to the five districts to monitor the field-level activities.
About 220 diarrhoea patients are under treatment at different healthcare facilities in the worst-hit Jajpur district, said Collector P Anvesha Reddy.
The district administration has ordered the closure of street food vendors and roadside hotels in the affected areas. Public feasts and food events are allowed only with permission, officials said.
Hospitals are cleaned and disinfected every 30 minutes to stop the spread of infection.
The officials further informed that eight medical specialists and 20 more mobile health teams have been deployed at the hospitals in the affected area of Jajpur. With the deployment of the new mobile teams, 40 mobile health teams of NHM are currently working in the district.
Besides, 45 mobile health camps have been organised in the affected areas of Jajpur, they said.
Earlier in the day, Raids were conducted at several restaurants in Bhubaneswar, Jajpur and Cuttack to assess the standard of hygiene amid the diarrhoea outbreak in parts of the state, officials said.
A team led by Darpan's tahasildar Manas Tripathy conducted raids at eateries, sweet shops and hotels in Barchana town in Jajpur.
"We are checking the hygiene and quality of food served in eateries. If stale food was found, we issued a warning to the owner. If they continue to serve unhygienic or stale food, we will seal their shop," he said.
Similarly, the municipal authorities in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar have also started conducting raids after diarrhoea cases were detected in some pockets of the twin cities.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation teams conducted raids at eateries in Kalinga Vihar and Delta Square areas. They collected food samples for testing and also fined some restaurant owners for not maintaining the quality, an official said.
The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) sealed two hotels in the Station Bazar after finding low-quality water and food served there, he said.
Capital Hospital's Director Rupabhanu Mishra said a separate ward has been set up to treat diarrhoea patients.
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