ROURKELA: Four persons including three women died of suspected diarrhoea outbreak, while 102 others are undergoing treatment at the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) sending the Sundargarh district administration into a tizzy to find out the cause and prevent further spread.
Reports said, patients started arriving at the RGH from December 11 and kept on rising over the next few days. RGH deputy superintendent Dr Pandit Sahu said two under-treatment patients died on Friday followed by one in the night and another on Saturday morning. The deceased are G Samanta (38), Phultoli Goud (23), Ahalya Nayak (70) and Manashi Dubey (75). “As of now 102 patients are undergoing treatment and most of them are in stable condition,” he said.
Four deaths within 24 hours have taken the city administration aback which swung into action with preventive measures. With most cases arriving from Rourkela city with no specific hotspot, water contamination is suspected to be main reason.
Rourkela Municipal Corporation commissioner Dr Subhankar Mohapatra said diarrhoea cases have been reported from the city area with no specific source point. “The situation is under control. All precautionary measures have been put in place and there is nothing to be scared.
Microbiologist team has been requisitioned from the district headquarter and arrangements made for treatment of the patients,” he said.
He said water samples were sent for testing and exact reasons can be ascertained after the reports arrive.
RGH sources said with the arrival of diarrhoea patients over the past few days, the already overcrowded hospital has been overwhelmed. Patients are being accommodated in different wards including surgery, trauma and burn units, they said.
Sundargarh chief district medial and public health officer Dharani Ranjan Satpathy said as per the preliminary reports submitted by the Rourkela-based additional district urban public health officer, 97 of the 102 patients are from Rourkela, while rest five are from nearby pockets. Water contamination appears to be the most likely reason for the diarrhoea outbreak, he said adding, senior health officers and medical teams have been asked to visit the affected places and initiate preventive measures.