BERHAMPUR: More cases of diarrhoea have been reported from Rayagada while another patient died on Saturday night taking the death count to seven in the district. The seventh victim was from Panchali village under the Sankarada panchayat. When the situation seemed to have been brought under control, on Sunday, 11 students of Thutibar Sevashram at Tikiri were taken ill and admitted to hospital. Their condition is stated to be stable.
The water-borne disease which is believed to have broken out from a contaminated well in Maliguda village spread to nearby villages, and since the last week has affected more than a hundred people.
On Saturday, Health Minister Naba Das had directed to rush an experienced medical team to the affected block and submit a report within 72 hours. A team of the health directorate led by Joint Director Basant Kumar Pradhan has already reached the diarrhoea-hit block.
As per the directions of Rayagada Collector Swadha Dev Singh, who had visited the villages of the block on Saturday, the contaminated well has been disinfected and safe drinking water through a tanker has been provided to the villagers.
CDMO Dr. LM Routray informed condition of all the patients is stable and added multiple mobile health teams have been deployed in the affected areas, who are focusing on sanitation. But the local villagers remain tensed as the disease continues to spread despite the administration providing health services. On the other hand, as a precautionary measure, many residents of the affected villages have been shifted to other villages.