Diarrhoea situation grim in Jajpur, over 500 affected
JAJPUR /BHUBANESWAR: The diarrhoea situation remained grim in Jajpur with the waterborne disease affecting over 500 people in different parts of the district as on Wednesday. The disease has so far claimed two lives in the district.
The worst-hit areas are Dharmasala, Jajpur, Danagadi, Korei and Rasulpur blocks where local hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed by the sudden spike in number of patients showing gastrointestinal symptoms.
Sources said over 95 patients are undergoing treatment in the district headquarters hospital (DHH) followed by 55 in Dharmasala community health centre (CHC). Similarly, 50 patients have been admitted to Jajpur Road CHC while 25 each are undergoing treatment in Korei and Danagadi CHCs. Madhuban CHC has nine patients. Over 200 patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment in the last two days.
Officials said 20 critical patients were shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for advanced care. The superintendent of SCB MCH has been asked to remain alert about proper treatment of the referral cases.
Dharmasala, which first reported the diarrhoea outbreak on Monday night, continues to report the highest number of cases. Nearly 150 patients from 12 villages have received treatment in the local CHC since Monday night.
Director of public health Dr Nilakantha Mishra along withtwo rapid action teams consisting of medical officers, microbiologists, epidemiologists and joint director of integrated disease surveillance programme visited the areas and monitored treatment in coordination with the chief district medical officer (CDMO) of Jajpur.
Dr Mishra said all patients and sporadic cases emerging from adjoining places are being attended to by the rapid action teams constituted at district level. Specialists from Maharaja Jajati Keshari medical college and hospital, Jajpur are looking into treatment of the critical cases while six medicine specialists from SCB MCH have also been deputed to the district.
CDMO Prakash Chandra Bal said the state-level medical teams are conducting door-to-door surveys in the affected villages. “Accompanied by ASHA and anganwadi workers, the teams are meeting families of patients and collecting water and stool samples to help determine the outbreak’s source,” he said.
The Health department has also deployed separate teams of doctors in the affected and surrounding areas of Vyasanagar municipality, Dharmasala, Danagadi, Rasulpur and Korei. Besides, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) teams have been engaged for disinfection of drinking water sources. Food inspecting and disease surveillance teams are working at the ground level to combat further outbreak of the waterborne disease.
On the day, Jajpur collector P Anwesha Reddy visited the DHH and Jajpur Road and Danagadi CHCs to review the preparedness in view of the rising number of diarrhoea patients. Reddy appealed to the public to only consume boiled or disinfected water.