Bhubaneswar: In a proactive move to combat diarrhoea, a special joint team of health experts from central and state governments has commenced operations in Cuttack, Jajpur, and Bhadrak districts.
The initiative, directed by Aswathi S., Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, aims to assess, monitor, and advise on comprehensive prevention and control measures.
The multi-disciplinary team, which began its work in Cuttack, is comprised of senior officials. For Cuttack district, Dr. B. Diwbedi and Dr. S. Mohanty are leading efforts alongside Dr. Pramila Baral, Additional Director, Health and Family Welfare Department.
In Jajpur, the team includes Dr. Nilakantha Mishra, Director of Health for the district, and Central Director Dr. N. Somalkar, with a representative from the National Food Security Agency also contributing expertise.
Meanwhile, Bhadrak district’s situation is being reviewed by Dr. P. Ghosh, Dr. G. Choudhury, and Dr. Subhasish Mohanty, Joint Director of Health and Family Welfare.
The expert teams are focusing on several critical areas to curb the spread of the disease. These include the disinfection of drinking water sources, raising public awareness about the safe use of water pipes, enhancing patient treatment protocols in hospitals, ensuring accurate data collection on diarrhoea incidence, and continuous monitoring of the situation at the block level.
While significant progress is being made, the joint team has noted a challenge concerning the provision of necessary advice to “star-level doctors and other medical professionals.” This feedback suggests a potential gap in communication or guidance reaching all levels of healthcare providers, which could impact the efficacy of interventions.
In response, experts from the star-level district are slated to analyze this feedback from the affected districts. Their findings will inform and shape the necessary advice and recommendations to be issued in the subsequent phase of the initiative.
The intensive work to prevent and control diarrhoea across Cuttack, Jajpur, and Bhadrak districts is ongoing, underscoring the government’s commitment to public health.