Cholera Toll Rises To 12: Odisha Health Secy Assess Ground Situation In Rourkela

Rourkela: Amid concerns over cholera cases in Odisha’s Rourkela, Principal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development G Mathi Vathanan and Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Shalini Pandit visited the Steel City on Wednesday to assess the ground situation.

“Sufficient halogen tablets and ORS pouches are being supplied to the affected areas. Four associate professor from Sundargarh medical college are stationed in Rourkela,” Director of Public Health Dr Niranjan Mishra, who would be accompanying the secretaries, told mediapersons ahead of the visit.

After arriving in Rourkela, Health Secretary and Public Health Director inquired about the health status of the patients and treatment provided to them. Later, they held a meeting with Sundargarh Collector Parag Harshad Gavali, ADM Shubhakan Mohapatra, CDMO Dharani Ranjan Satpathy, Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) director and superintendent D B Das and Sudharani Pradhan, respectively, and senior officials of different departments.

According to sources, more than a dozen samples from water sources in the affected areas and stool samples of some patients have confirmed the presence of vibrio cholerae (bacteria which causes cholera). “Rectal swab samples of around 39 patients were received on Monday of which 18 were positive for vibrio cholerae (Cholera), 10 E coli and the rest 11 non-specific infections,” said Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) commissioner Subhankar Mohapatra.

Both vibrio cholerae and E coli infections are caused by contaminated food or water.

The commissioner further said that the entire administration is on alert and taking all measures to contain the outbreak. “The situation is under control and in-patient admission into different hospitals is on a decline trend now. The situation will improve in the next two to three days,” he said.

The food safety wing of RMC has been conducting surprise checks to ensure food safety, while the WATCO is ensuring the quality of the drinking water supply, he said, adding that leakages in drinking water supply pipelines have been repaired at 47 locations over the last couple of days.

While more than 1,000 people have been affected in the outbreak since December 11, 287 patients are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, including 136 at RGH, while  244 have returned home cured. While the government has put the death count at six, sources claimed that the toll touched 12, with six more persons, including an eight-year-old girl, succumbing to the disease, on Tuesday.