Post News Network
Balugaon, Jan 23: Panic gripped the local police station as six of its staff members have been affected by jaundice in the last one month. With more than half of its personnel on leave, day-to-day affairs at the police station have been hit, sources said.
Inspector-in-charge Prashant Kumar Malla said he had sent a letter to the chief engineer of the rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) wing a month ago to collect sample of the borewell water used by the police station staff and send it for test. However, neither the health department nor the RWSS took any measure to this effect, he alleged.
Those diagnosed with jaundice were sub-inspector Debendra Dora, assistant sub-inspectors Prashant Behera, MM Jali and Muralidhar Baliarsingh and constables Kanaklata Hansdah and Bijayananda Dakua. Three of them were affected by the water-borne disease a month ago and were under treatment, while the others were affected recently. According to reports, over 20 people of Bhagabatipatna village in Singeswar panchayat under Chilika block were affected by jaundice a month ago.
After the news was published in the media, the health department and the RWSS took extensive measures to contain the spread of the disease. A medical team reached the village and provided healthcare services to the affected people. It also collected water samples and sent those for examination. The team also took measures to disinfect water bodies and carried out awareness drives. Due to such measures, spread of the disease in Bhagabatipatna was brought under control. However, the disease started spreading in the village once again.
