Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Feb 16: The health department seems to blundered once again by repeating its mistakes in handling jaundice prevention and control measures.
At least 117 jaundice cases were reported in Cuttack city in the past one week soon after the ailment afflicted thousands of people in Sambalpur.
The jaundice outbreak in Cuttack soon after the experience in Sambalpur has become a nightmare for the health officials. According to health experts in the city, it is high time for the people to learn causes, symptoms and remedies of jaundice.
The skin assumes a yellowish complexion due to excess bilirubin (a yellow substance) in the blood that turns several body fluids yellow.
“The cause of the outbreak in Cuttack is the same as in Sambalpur. The drinking water being supplied to the citizens through municipal taps got contaminated with the city’s sewer lines and led to the epidemic,” said Kailash Dash, director public health.
“We have deployed adequate manpower, enough halogen tablets were supplied. All material support is in place to tackle the situation, but the people need to cooperate and take the required preventive measures such as consuming boiled water, washing hands frequently, avoidance of street food etc,” said Dash.
Experts have found presence of Hepatitis E virus in the drinking water samples that had come for testing at the labs in Bhubaneswar. “We have found Hepatitis E virus in the contaminated water. The incubation period of the virus in the body is 21 days.
The affected persons must be aware of the symptoms of jaundice and seek medical assistance immediately. The victims must keep themselves away from alcohol which is a deadly mixture for jaundice,” said Shantanu Kar, director of Regional Medical Research Centre.
The health department, on the other hand, has set up a 30-bed special jaundice ward at Sreerama Chandra Bhanja Medical College Hospital and a four-bed special ward in the City Hospital. The blood testing facilities and the drugs are made available there free of cost for the patients.
