Bhubaneswar: As the situation caused by diarrhoea and cholera outbreak remained grim in Odisha, the visiting Central health team held a high-level meeting with state government officials at Loka Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar to discuss the issue.
After originating in in Jajpur district, diarrhoea outbreak has now spread to multiple districts, causing over 2,200 infections and 11 deaths, sources said.
However, unofficial reports have put the death toll at 21. Authorities said the remaining cases are under verification. The number of affected people has also gone up to 2,200, as per official records.
A Central team, comprising experts from ICMR, FSSAI, RMRC, and NHM, conducted field visits and ground inspections to assess the situation.
Their findings were presented in the meeting, where discussions focused on contaminated water sources, inadequate sanitation, and medical response efforts.
The Central team reportedly stated that diarrhoea outbreak has been triggered primarily by contaminated water. Findings during the field visit in the affected areas showed that contaminated water was the main source of the outbreak, team members said.
The state government is likely to act on the central team’s recommendations, which include enhancing medical infrastructure, improving water sanitation, and launching extensive awareness campaigns to curb the outbreak. The experts will continue to monitor the situation closely to prevent further escalation.
Meanwhile, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Jajpur, Dr Bijay Mishra said that 196 persons are undergoing treatment in the district at present, while the number of fresh admissions stood at 37. As many as 78 of the patients have been admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), he said, adding that the situation is showing signs of improvement.
Stating that the authorities have received information about the death of two patients at Byasanagar hospital, he said detailed investigation is underway to ascertain the exact reason.
With diarrhoea outbreak spreading to more areas, the state government has stepped up emergency response measures, deploying 20 mobile health teams for treatment and door-to-door awareness campaigns.
Four teams of specialists, comprising senior health officials, experts from various wings and health advisors have been deployed in worst-hit Bhuban, Banki, Dharmasala, Badachana and Bhandaripokhari blocks in Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts respectively.
While 1 more stool samples have tested positive for Vibrio cholerae, the government is yet to pinpoint the exact cause of the outbreak even a week after it began. The delay in releasing food and water sample test results has raised concerns among public health experts. Local officials, however, attributed the outbreaks to community feasts, contaminated drinking water and consumption of overripe mangoes.
Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja on Tuesday reviewed the situation in Jajpur, Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Cuttack and Dhenkanal districts at Lok Seva Bhawan here. Directing the collectors to scale up awareness activities and ensure water quality monitoring, he stressed the need for coordinated action to prevent further casualties.
In Jajpur district, where the outbreak is severe, the National Health Mission (NHM) has deployed 40 mobile health teams including eight medical specialists. They have organised 45 mobile health camps to ensure immediate outreach and medical support.
Over 40 lakh halogen tablets, six lakh ORS packets, 400 packets of bleaching powder and 3.4 lakh doxycycline tablets have been distributed across affected areas so far. District officials have been directed to intensify purification of wells, tube wells and public water sources.
