Rourkela’s Diarrhoea Outbreak Toll Rises To 8! 162 Under Treatment, 20 Critical, Says Odisha Health Official

Rourkela: The toll in suspected diarrhoea outbreak in Odisha’s Rourkela city touched 8 on Monday with the death of a woman of of Naya Bazaar here.

The deceased, Sarojini Khandayat (49), was admitted to Ispat General Hospital (IGH) here last night after her condition deteriorated, but she breathed her last during treatment, according to reports.

Patients reportedly started arriving at hospitals in the city on December 11 and the number kept on rising over the next few days. Two under-treatment patients died on Friday followed by one in the night and another on Saturday morning. The deceased were identified as G Samanta (38), Phultoli Goud (23), Ahalya Nayak (70) and Manashi Dubey (75) from Panposh and Udit Nagar in the city. Pranab Kishore Swavik (50), the owner of an eatery near Rourkela railway station, succumbed at Hi-Tech Medical College & Hospital (HTMCH) on Saturday night. The other two deceased have been identified as Mohammad Aslam of Rourkela Plant site area, and Atul Kisan (70) of Rourkela Gandhi Road.

Public Health director Niranjan Patnaik said that cases are being reported from 12-14 wards of the corporation area. “A total of 595 people have been affected by the water-borne disease. While 343 have undergone treatment at different hospital in the city in phases, 145 among them have been discharged after recovery and 26 left against medical advice. Till last evening, 162 were admitted to hospitals, including 102 at Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), for treatment. Among them, condition of 20 among them is critical. Critical cases requiring ICU are being shifted to Hi-Tech Medical College & Hospital,” he said.

Notably, treatment facility at RGH has been augmented, doctors mobilised from Sundargarh, and bed strength and diagnosis capacity increased, besides ensuring the availability of medicines.

He added IGH has also been requested to attend to incoming patients.

Patnaik further said that six mobile medical units have been deployed in the city to spot new patients, provide basic medicines and create awareness regarding diarrhoea. “A health team from Sundargarh Government Medical College & Hospital (SGMCH) has begun investigation from the epidemiological perspective. CDMO has deployed four junior doctors, 12 staff nurse, one microbiologist and two laboratory technicians,” he said.

While a special team led by the Panposh sub-collector has been entrusted to check pipelines for breakage or leakage from supply points to homes to trace the possibility of water contamination, WATCO has been instructed to carry out chlorination of drinking water being supplied to different households.