Malkangiri/Koraput: Even as Japanese encephalitis has been playing havoc in this district, a district-level task force is gearing up for an immunization programme to check the menace.
Meanwhile, two more kids died at the district headquarters hospital Sunday. The deceased were identified as three-year-old Lina Madkami of Kodaguda and two-year-old Langa Madkami of Urmakunda under Korukunda block.
With the latest casualties, the number of JE deaths mounted to 93 in the last 66 days, according to hospital sources. However, as per unofficial sources, more than a hundred children have died of the dreaded disease.
Currently, 18 JE-affected children are under treatment at the DHH. Four of them are in the ICU while 14 are in the JE ward.
According to hospital sources, 325 kids have undergone treatment for JE at the DHH while 214 have been discharged so far. Three children had fallen prey to the dreaded disease Friday.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the district task force on JE immunisation was held at DRDA conference hall under the chairmanship of collector K Sudarshan Chakraborty. Joint director of Bhubaneswar-based National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme Dr Madan Mohan Pradhan, PD (DRDA) Parag Harshad Gavali, divisional officer Samrat Gouda and chief district medical officer Dr Uday Shankar Mishra among other officials elaborately discussed the prevention, diagnosis and immunisation of the deadly disease to be taken up in December.
It was decided in the meeting that house-to-house screening of JE will be carried out from November 20 to 22. The collector said senior members of all families should be present during the screening so that there will be no problem for the staff to collect the right data about the disease.
Two other task force committees at the block and panchayat levels have been formed for ensuring complete screening of all.
Teachers, ASHA and Anganwadi workers of each village have been made part of these committees.
The meeting of the block level task force panels will be held from Monday, followed by training for them November 17 and 18. As many as 10 master trainers have been engaged for training.
Officers at the district, block and sub-divisional level have been appointed to monitor effective implementation of the immunisation, said the collector.
Sunday, a five-member civil society team made a two-day visit to JE-hit areas and collected information.
The team of Bhubaneswar Civil Society Forum on Human Rights Jan Swastya Abhiyan and CCL Orissa comprising Gourang Mohapatra, social activist Ranjit Patnaik and lawyer Ashok Patnaik visited Daniguda, Dariguda, Palkonda and other villages.
Meanwhile, a report from Koraput said a kid who was under treatment for fever at the district headquarters hospital, died of suspected JE Sunday. The deceased was identified as Lili Harijan (3), daughter of Dhanurjay Harijan of Musangguda under Kundra block. She was down with fever and admitted to the hospital Saturday. It is alleged that over 15 kids have died of JE at the district headquarters hospital in Koraput. PNN