press trust of india
Bhubaneswar, July 25: Health and family welfare minister Atanu S Nayak Monday directed authorities to ensure 24-hour healthcare and safe drinking water supply in the affected areas, even as at least five persons allegedly died due to cholera in tribal dominated Rayagada district.
The Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) here has confirmed cases of cholera in Kalyansinghpur block of the district.
‘‘As many as 28 persons were affected with diarrhoea between July 16 and 22 in the block. Our team of microbiologists went to the area and collected five samples of which two had the presence of Vibrio cholera bacteria,” RMRC director Namita Mohapatra said.
A team of RMRC would soon visit the affected villages, she said.
State health secretary Arti Ahuja, however, denied the allegation and claimed the five persons died of diarrhoea and not due to cholera.
‘‘It is a fact that two persons have been tested positive of cholera. These two persons are under treatment. The persons who died earlier suffered from diarrhoea and cholera,’’ Ahuja told newsmen.
Rejecting the allegation that cholera has taken an epidemic form in Kalyansinghpur area, the secretary claimed no water sources have tested positive for cholera virus.
‘‘The situation is under control and there is nothing to panic,’’ she said.
Stating that cholera is also a type of diarrhoea, Rayagada additional district medical officer Siba Prasad Padhi said as two samples have tested positive, all patients were under treatment for cholera.
After a discussion with district collector and other health officials, Nayak said, “We discussed how to create awareness and ensure safe drinking water to the affected blocks of the districts. We have deployed a team at the district hospital and a state-level team of doctors is also helping them out. Water samples are being tested everyday.’’
‘‘We have set up health camps and mobile health units (MHUs) to tackle the situation,’’ the minister said.
