BHUBANESWAR: Expressing grave concern over deaths due to diarrhoea and detection of cholera in Rourkela, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday sought the immediate intervention of the health ministry to control the spread of the disease.
In a letter to his cabinet colleague and Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Pradhan said the severity of the disease is alarming and needs immediate attention. “I am writing to seek your intervention regarding the urgent need for central assistance to Rourkela and nearby affected areas in Odisha to control and address the recent outbreak of diarrhoea,” he said in the letter.
“The severity of the outbreak in Rourkela and the potential risk it poses to public health is alarming. At least eight deaths have been reported and over 600 individuals are currently undergoing treatment. The disease is suspected to be caused by water contamination, leading to severe health complications among the affected populace,” the letter added.
Seeking personal intervention of Mandaviya into the issue, Pradhan urged him to facilitate immediate Central assistance to Rourkela and other affected areas to prevent the spread of the disease. He also urged the state government to step up measures to tackle the situation. “It is a matter of concern that the diarrheal infections in a city like Rourkela are now out of control of the local administration. The state government should immediately take this sensitive issue seriously and take necessary steps to provide better healthcare to the patients,” he said.
The minister further requested the state government to undertake house-to-house screening and awareness campaigns on the disease. The government should also take the assistance of Central government agencies to contain the infection.