Bhubaneswar: Odisha government Friday said the diarrhoea situation has improved in the state as the number of new cases has started showing a declining trend in the affected districts.
The situation has been reined in by concerted efforts of field-level teams of the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Housing and Urban Development, Women and Child Development, and Mission Shakti, an official said.
Director Public Health Services Nilakantha Mishra presented the updates and outlined the issues at a review meeting chaired by Health Secretary Aswathy S, the official said.
So far, the official death toll remained at 11 while medical audit is under progress into the death of another three diarrhoea patients, an official said.
In a statement, the Health and Family Welfare Department said Jajpur district where the outbreak made its first appearance June 9 started showing a declining trend over the last seven days.
The district had reported 126 diarrhoea cases June 10, which reached its peak June 11 with 150 new cases. The number of cases in areas like Danagadi, Korei, Dharmashala, and Vyasanagar blocks showed a declining trend from June 12 onwards, it said.
On June 12, the total number of new patients admitted to hospitals was 135, which came down to 121 June 15, and further to 91 June 18. As of Thursday evening, 71 new cases were admitted in different hospitals in the district, the department said.
Though new sporadic cases were reported from Badachana and Sukinda areas of Jajpur, those were quickly attended to by the rapid response teams, and were managed in local hospitals, it said.
Till last night, a total of 1,127 persons were admitted in different hospitals of the district out of which 1,045 were discharged after being cured and only 82 patients were under treatment.
Similarly, Keonjhar district also reported a similar decline trend. On June 10, 79 people from different areas of the district were admitted to hospitals which came down to 44 June 12, and further down to 38 June 18. Till Thursday night, the total number of new cases in the district was 17 only, as per the official data.
As of Thursday night, a cumulative total of 497 people were admitted to different hospitals in Keonjhar district, out of whom, 454 returned home after being cured while 34 patients were under treatment in different hospitals in the district.
On June 19, a total number of 400 diarrhoea patients were admitted to different hospitals in these districts, and 299 were discharged after treatment.
At present, anti-diarrhoeal operations are being carried out in the entire state with special focus on districts like Jajpur, Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Cuttack, and Dhenkanal. Additional doctors and manpower have been deputed to these districts, he said.
Sufficient medicines, fluids and injections have been positioned at different levels like hospitals, health sub-centres, Asha workers and Anganwadi centres, he said.
The official said that expert teams both from central and state governments have continued their visit to the affected areas for monitoring and to guide field-level officials. Besides, a house-to-house awareness campaign has been intensified in these districts.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling has directed to keep up the campaign till the end of the monsoon to check the possible outbreak of any waterborne diseases including diarrhoea.
He advised people not to panic but to remain vigilant about following hygienic practices both in personal and community life.
Health secretary Aswathy S has also advised people to follow hygienic practices, hand washing, and drink boiled water.
Water supply agencies have been asked to undertake intensive disinfection of water sources at regular intervals, she said.
PTI
