ROURKELA: A high-level team comprising Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary G Mathi Vathanan and HN Shalini Pandit reviewed the diarrhoea situation at Rourkela on Wednesday.
After holding discussions with various stakeholders including senior authorities of both government and private hospitals, the Health secretary claimed the outbreak situation has stabilised and the crisis is likely to be resolved in a couple of days. She said the number of new cases has come down due to awareness activities, food safety checking and improvement in the quality of water. Those arriving at hospitals now have mild symptoms and they are returning home in stable condition within a few hours.
Pandit said since cases have been reported from different areas, proper epidemiology and microbiology studies are being conducted to ascertain the source of infection and prevent future occurrence. The community medicine department of Sundargarh Government Medical College and Hospital (MCH) has already taken up its study. Teams from SCB MCH in Cuttack and the Regional Medical Research Centre will also reach Rourkela soon.
She further said from Wednesday, all the 10 urban primary health centres (UPHCs) of Rourkela would operate round-the-clock. Adequate doctors and paramedics have been provided to the UPHCs and Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) to tackle the situation.
On the day, the HUD secretary inspected the 55 MLD and eight MLD water treatment plants of WATCO at Panposh. He held discussions with Jal Sathis and visited the Hamirpur slum. He also reviewed measures taken for the supply of safe drinking water.
Mathi Vathanan was accompanied by Sundargarh collector Parag Harshad Gavali, WATCO chief executive officer PK Swain and Rourkela Municipal Corporation commissioner and ADM Subhankar Mohapatra.