Rourkela: With diarrhoea claimed six lives in steel city Rourkela, Health Secretary Shalini Pandit today visited the hospitals and reviewed the situation with the local administration.
More than 1,500 persons have been infected and at least six died due to diarrhoea in a span of the last seven days. The patients have been admitted to Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), Ispat General Hospital, Medical College Sundargarh, and other private hospitals in the city.
The team discussed with all the stakeholders and held meetings with the authorities of all private medicals, Rourkela government hospital, IGH, Medical College in Sundergarh, Hi-tech medical college in the presence of senior health officials.
“The situation has been stable since yesterday as cases are not rising. The new patients who are coming to the hospital complain of mild symptoms as water and food inspection has been stepped up. We expect that the situation will come under control within the next two to three days,” Shrimati Pandit said.
Usually, diarrhoea is caused by food and water contamination, but here, cases have come from different areas. So, epidemiology and microbiology study of the cases is being conducted. The community medicine department at Sundergarh Medical College has started the analysis, she added.
A team from SCB, Cuttack and RMRC, Bhubaneswar will also join the study to find out the sources of the outbreak. They will also suggest remedial measures to prevent the spread of the disease further, shrimati Pandit told reporters.
She also informed10 PHCs in the city will function 24×7 from today onwards.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote a letter to Union Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya seeking urgent central assistance to Rourkela and nearby affected areas in Odisha to control and address the recent outbreak.
“The severity of the outbreak of diarrhoea in Rourkela and the potential risk it poses to public health is alarming. The disease is suspected to be caused by water contamination, leading to severe health complications among the affected populace,” read the letter.
Keeping in mind the welfare of the people of Rourkela and nearby areas, he sought personal intervention of the Health Minister in immediate facilitation of central assistance to Rourkela and other affected areas in Odisha, for controlling and addressing the diarrhoea outbreak.
