Diarrhoea Outbreak In Odisha’s Rayagada: Health Minister Seeks Report, Collector Visits Affected Villages

Bhubaneswar/Rayagada: Odisha’s Health Minister Naba Kishore Das on Saturday sought a report in 72 hours on the diarrhoea outbreak in Rayagada district’s Kashipur block and asked the CDMO to send a team of doctors to Kashipur immediately.

According to unofficial reports, the death toll from the diarrhoea outbreak in Kashipur block rose to seven on Saturday with one more villager dying from the water-borne disease. There is no official confirmation yet on the latest death.

Six persons have died in the block in the last three days. Several others are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Tikiri and Kashipur.

Rayagada Collector Swadha Dev Singh on Saturday visited the affected areas, took stock of the health facilities and inspected the sources of water being used by villagers.

Swadha visited the Tikiri Primary Health Centre, where she spoke to patients and doctors, besides taking stock of the medical facilities there. She ordered stationing four ambulances at Tikiri.

She also visited Jhodia Sahi and Dudukabahal, where she met the families of victims, and inspected the wells from which villagers use water.

Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Odisha Assembly on Saturday after the Opposition Congress cornered the state government over the diarrhoea deaths in Kashipur block.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Narasingha Mishra raised the issue during Zero Hour and sought a statement from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati also urged Speaker B K Arukh to direct the CM to make a statement.

The House had to be adjourned twice over the issue.

Among the six deceased, Dhoba Majhi (36) of Tikiri village and Sabita Naik (40) of Dudukabahal village developed diarrhoea symptoms and died on Thursday, while four others — Sarojini Jhodia (30), Anj Jhodia (18), Rajni Jhodia (19) and Kenny Majhi (56), who were undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital — succumbed to the disease on Friday.

At least 14 seriously ill people have been admitted to the district hospital, while 25 people are being treated in two health centres of Kashipur in Tikiri. Besides, one patient was shifted to SLN Medical College, Koraput after his condition deteriorated.

On Friday, four persons of Dudukabahal village were brought to Kashipur CHC but two patients had to be shifted to Rayagada hospital as their condition deteriorated.

According to latest reports, 11 girl students of Thutibar Ashram School are suspected to have contracted diarrhoea and have been admitted to the Tikiri Primary Health Centre.

The water-borne disease is believed to have started from Maliguda village due to consumption of contaminated water and soon spread to Dudukabahal, Tikiri, Gobrighati, Routghati and Jalakhura. The situation is quite alarming in Dangasil, Renga, Hadiguda, Maikanch, Sankarada, Tikri and Kuchipadar areas of Kashipur block where scores of people are reportedly down with diarrhoea, sources said.

A special health team led by additional medical and public health officer V Loknath Raju visited the affected villages and treated those with suspected diarrhoea. Anganwadi workers have been mobilised to the affected areas to stabilise the situation.

CDMO Dr Lalmohan Routray informed that the water of an open well was found to have been infected and the Collector has been asked to arrange for an alternate water source.

Notably, Kashipur block reports deaths due to water-borne diseases every year. Over 100 people had died of diarrhoea in 2008 while cholera had claimed as many lives in 2010.