Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 11: The health department is bracing for tackling the outbreak of jaundice, which has assumed the proportion of an epidemic and claimed 11 lives in Sambalpur in the last few days.
The dreaded disease, which has created panic in the region for the last few days, is giving sleepless nights to the health department officials.
The department has deployed about 150 health workers, including Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANM) and health supervisors, to keep a check on the outbreak that has affected 992 persons in Sambalpur municipal area.
Director of public health Dr Kailash Chandra Dash said that the source of the disease has been identified and now efforts are on to curb the further effect of the outbreak. “The water in the municipal area of the city is highly contaminated and we have asked the local authorities to clean the water and arrange for alternative water sources for the people,” said Dash.
The health department has also set up an unit of eight health workers in all the 29 wards of the city who are involved in the awareness programmes and also help in detecting affected persons and providing them healthcare.
“The people need to be completely aware of the consequences of the disease, so that they will be prepared for any kind of situation. ASHAs have been regularly educating the masses to drink hot water, wash hands before having food to prevent jaundice,” remarked Dash.
The local authorities also imposed a ban on street food, packaged drinking water and also kept a strict vigil on the street-side hotels. A team of experts from the health department are also being positioned there to track the situation.
The scientists of the Regional Medical Research Centre are visiting the site for further investigation.
The director of public health assured people that the epidemic will be brought under control quickly and measures will be taken to stop its spread in adjacent areas.
