NUAPADA: With the total number of cases going up to 44, including two affected on Thursday, diarrhoea scare continued to create panic in Jatgarh village under Komna block of Nuapada district. While district administration has rolled up its sleeves to curb any further aggravation and spread of the water-borne disease to other parts of the district, a common pond in the village is suspected to have triggered the outbreak.
“The situation is under control as the frequency of new cases has reduced remarkably. However, we are taking action to ensure that no other blocks get affected by the disease,” Nuapada District Collector, Hemkant Say said. Besides people in Jatgarh are also being sensitized to avoid further spread of diarrhoea in the village, he added.
Sources said, apart from sensitisation programme in Jatgarh and nearby villages, the residents are being guided in hand hygiene and other safety measures to avoid getting infected. Soaps, halazone tablets, zinc tablets and oral rehydration salts are being supplied to villagers who have also been advised to use water from the tankers sent to the villages for use till testing from all water sources is done. A mobile health unit (MHU) and two Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram with adequate number of doctors, pharmacists and ANM have been stationed at the village.
Similarly, ASHA workers have been asked to visit households and monitor the health condition of people showing symptoms. For emergencies, capacity of the nearest PHC in Tarbod has also been augmented with 10 extra beds. This apart, the district administration has deployed nodal officers in all other blocks to keep a check on further spread, sources added.
“We have initiated process for pipe water connection under Basudha Scheme to the village to avoid any further recurrence in future,” informed Say. According to the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Sobharani Mishra, while the tubewells were found to be clean, the disease is suspected to have spread from the common pond in the village used for bathing and washing purposes.
“The water sample of the pond and the sample from a few patients’ wells have been sent for testing to Kalahandi and RMRC and the reports are expected in a few days,” Mishra said.As on Thursday, nine patients were admitted to the Nuapada DHH and five at Tarbod PHC. Other patients have been sent home after treatment.
While the outbreak was reported on Tuesday with the death of a 70-year-old woman, 35 cases were reported on the first day. Subsequently, seven more cases were reported on Wednesday and only two cases registered on Thursday.