Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks, 6 cholera cases confirmed; toll reaches 136

[Ronan Kelly]

Diarrhoea claims 20 lives in Koraput, Rayagada, triggers panic

Lalmohan Pattanaik | Koraput

The scourge of diarrhoea, which has already claimed 20 lives in Koraput and Rayagada districts, has triggered panic among the people in the rural areas. The apathy of the administration in fulfilling the basic health needs of the tribals has raised many an eye brow.

Last week, Madhu Bhoi and Sisha Bhoi of village Bandamaliguda, which is at a distance of only 10 km from the Koraput District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), died of the disease, raising question mark on the efficiency of the medical staff.

According to sources, Madhu and Sisha died because they could not be shifted to the hospital in time. Later, seven more persons of the village were taken ill and undergoing treatment at the DHH.

The plight of the villagers of Bahardulki under Kashipur block of Rayagada district is in no way better. In the last two days, four persons from the block and two others from K-Singhpur block in the district died of diarrhea, taking the toll to 18 in the district.

This disease had taken the shape of an epidemic in the year 2007 and created a devastating situation in Kashipur block. This time, the people of Kashipur are panicked remembering the 2007 epidemic. Not only the ignorance of the tribals and their indifferent attitude to health habits but also the apathy of administration are responsible for such a situation.

In many remote tribal villages, there is no provision of tubewells and people do not get safe drinking water. When they suffer from diarrhea, they cannot be transported to the PHC in time for lack of road communication. They are not properly sensitised and they lack awareness. The development programmes undertaken by the Government do not reach them.

It is high time sincere and sustainable steps were taken to end the sad plight of the tribals of the undivided Koraput district, say conscious residents.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/278445/Diarrhoea-claims-20-lives-in-Koraput-Rayagada-triggers-panic.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea claims 20 lives in Koraput, Rayagada, triggers panic

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea claims 20 lives in Koraput, Rayagada, triggers panic

Gastro takes 50 lives in Orissa?s Rayagada distirict
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Report by Joyti Prakash; Rayagada: More than 50 persons died of gastroenteritis in different parts of Raygada last week.

Kashipur and Bissamkatak blocks are the worst affected with more than 10 deaths in last few days. In Gudari at least 20 people have died due to sweeping of this disease and the health department is yet to reach those areas as Gudari in one of the worst maoist hit blocks of the state.

Adding to this problem the health department is not having the exact number of people who died due the gastroenteritis.

?Reports are reaching us. At this juncture we cannot tell you the exact number?, said an official of the health dept. in Bhubaneswar. "WE are making all arrangements" he added.

Intake of contaminated water and food by the tribals is supposed to be the cause of spread of the disease every year. Even though several schemes have been launched to provide safe drinking water to people, many villages do not have safe drinking water source as yet which has aggravated the situation.
http://www.orissadiary.com/ShowDistrictNews.asp?id=20955

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreak; toll reaches 70

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreak; toll reaches 70

Orissa forms team to access diarrhoea situation
Friday, September 03, 2010
Report by Jyoti Prakash; Bhubaneswar: After more than 50 deaths due to deadly diarrhoea-related deaths in Rayagada district of Orissa, state govt. has now decided to sent a team to access the situation at the ground level.

Bikash Pattanaik, head of State Disease Surveillance Cell will lead the team which will have another member from state health dept. It will visit five blocks of Rayagada district including Kashipur, Bisamcuttack, Kalyansinghpur and Gudari.

According to official figures, till now 26 people have died due to suspected of diarrhoea. But un-officially the figure is said to be very high.

The team is supposed to prepare an action plan to check the spread of the disease to the neighbouring districts like Kalahandi, Malkanagiri, Gajapati and Koraput. In the past, hundreds of people succumbed to this water-borne disease.

http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=20975

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreak; toll reaches 70

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreak; toll reaches 70

136 diarrhoea deaths recorded in Orissa in eight months

2010-09-09 11:00:00


Diarrhoea has killed at least 136 people in Orissa since January, a health official said Thursday.

Around 34 people died in the district of Rayagada and 27 died in its neighbouring Nuapada district, the official said, adding that most of these deaths took place in August.


Similarly, ten people each died in Nabrangpur and Keonjhar districts, nine in Ganjam, eight in Malkangiri and four in Kalahandi, he said.


'The deaths took place mostly due to unhygienic living conditions and consumption of contaminated water as people draw water from streams and nallas for drinking though there are tubewells,' he said.


Rayagada District Collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawale said around 60 diarrhoea patients are undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the district.


'Medical teams are camping in all vulnerable areas. There has been no death reported since past four-five days from any part of the district,' he told IANS.
http://sify.com/news/136-diarrhoea-...-in-eight-months-news-health-kjjlacabhie.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks; toll reaches 136

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks; toll reaches 136

Diarrhoea epidemic: 64 dead in 2 months
Priya Ranjan Sahu, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Rayagada/Nuapada, September 11, 2010First Published: 01:35 IST(11/9/2010)
Last Updated: 01:38 IST(11/9/2010)

The primary school headmaster in Nuapada district realised diarrhoea had hit the village when just 45 out of his 160 students marked attendance two months ago in his institution in Dudkamunda. By the time the medical team found time to arrive at the place, about 80 km from district headquarters of Nuapada, two persons had died and more than 100 infected.

Since then, the official death toll has shot up to 64 only in two districts of Orissa ? 37 in Rayagada and 27 in Nuapada ? both about 500 km southwest of Bhubaneswar.

"After the outbreak of diarrhoea the Nuapada collector visited the village and ordered supplying drinking water by tankers till alternative arrangements were made. The tanker stopped coming after four days and we again had to drink pond water," said Khirabati Majhi (33), who lost her seven-year-old daughter, Pramila, to diarrhoea. Majhi too suffered from the disease when she was expecting and her baby died in her womb.

The government has not confirmed the reported deaths in other neighbouring districts such as Kalahandi, Koraput and Nabarangpur. "More deaths have taken place in Rayagada than what the official figures state," said local journalist Ranjit Padhi.

Of the 17 swab samples sent on Thursday to the Regional Medical Research Centre here, six, all from Rayagada, have tested positive for cholera.

Orissa Health Minister Prasanna Acharya said the situation was grim. "I have asked the district collectors to engage staff from other departments in the case of emergency," he said.

Since 2007, diarrhoea and cholera have claimed more than 200 lives in Rayagada, Koraput and Kalahandi. And they have hit the poorest of the poor.

An acute lack of health services infrastructure is a major factor contributing to the epidemic. In Nuapada, of the sanctioned 65 doctors for the district, 28 posts are lying vacant.

"Recently the state government recruited 408 doctors in the KBK (Koraput, Bolangir, and Kalahandi) districts. Many of them preferred to stay away..." a senior doctor said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Diarrhoea-epidemic-64-dead-in-2-months/Article1-598694.aspx

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks; toll reaches 136

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks; toll reaches 136

Bring diarrhoea patient to hospital in Orissa, get reward

2010-09-10 20:50:00


In a bid to check further spread of diarrhoea that killed 35 people since August in 79 village in Rayagada district, Orissa Friday announced an incentive for bringing patients to government hospitals in the region for treatment.

'Those who will bring a patient to the nearby government hospital will be rewarded by the local administration with at least one hundred rupees,' a senior state health department official told IANS.


The government has also decided to provide one dhoti (traditional wear) and one piece of soap to each of the male patients and a saree and one piece of soap to each of the female patients, he said.


The official said there has been no fresh death due to diarrhoea in the district since the past two days. However panic has gripped the villages and towns after the state government Friday confirmed six cholera cases in district.

'We have adequate number of doctors, medical staffs and sufficient stocks of medicines in all the government hospitals in the region. Health officials are also camping in various affected villages,' he said.


A senior district health official said the situation is under control and the infection has not been reported from any new village during past 24 hours. The number of people undergoing treatment in the district for diarrhoea would be only about 20, he said.


Cholera and diarrhoea outbreaks are not new in Rayagada district, which has been visited by the water-borne diseases almost every monsoon as rainwater slush from hilltops contaminates water sources.


Rayagada district is among the most underdeveloped parts of the country and often in news for starvation deaths. Job opportunities in the region are limited with the major economic activity, agriculture, not generating enough income.


http://sify.com/news/bring-diarrhoe...rissa-get-reward-news-health-kjkuOddhcgg.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks, 6 cholera cases confirmed; toll reaches 136

NDTV does not always get facts and numbers straight, the deaths have occurred over the last 3-4 weeks. But this is looking more and more like cholera is responsible for at least some of the fatalities.

Cholera epidemic hits Orissa, 63 dead
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: September 11, 2010 14:07 IST

Rayagada: The cholera epidemic has hit Orissa. More than 63 people have died in Rayagada district in the last one week. However, the Government response to the epidemic is still lackadaisical.

''All these cases have happened in highly inaccessible interior pockets. It's difficult to respond quickly because of the terrain. But still our teams have touched every area," said NB Jawale
Collector, Raygada.

Nearly 600 people across 111 villages in Orissa are affected. But ironically, the government reported only 35 deaths and attributed all deaths to diarrhoea.

''So far, we have treated all patients as cholera patients," said Dr Benudhar Nayak, Chief Medical Officer, Rayagada district.

Rayagada has been cholera-sensitive since 2007 when 150 people died of the disease. Even as the hospitals are treating cholera patients day in and day out, the government's attitude in beyond comprehension.


Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/cholera-epidemic-hits-orissa-63-dead-51326?cp

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks, 6 cholera cases confirmed; toll reaches 136

Surviving on contaminated water, Orissa villagers hit by cholera

2010-09-11 18:50:00


Villagers in Orissa's Rayagada district have come under the grip of cholera, as their region lacks a safe and hygienic source of drinking water.

These villagers are very poor and helpless. They are compelled to take drinking water from river and ponds for their daily life.

As the water is contaminated, the water-borne disease is spreading rapidly in the district and has affected many people.

"We don't have any source of safe drinking water. We don't have any bore-well water, hence we have to depend on dirty rivers and pond water, and due to this unhygienic water we are falling ill," said Paranga Majhi, a local.

Meanwhile, State Health Department claims to have already started undertaking measures to counter the cholera outbreak.

"Government is taking all steps possible and a team of doctors has been dispersed. Paramedical team has also been dispersed from outside the district. Senior health officers of the health department have also been deployed there and are making all sets of arrangements to see that all patients areas (have) been given proper treatment and timely treatment," said Prasanna Acharaya, the State Health Minister.

Areas like Bissam Cuttak, Kasipur, Kalyasinghpur, Gudari, Jaganathpura and Jameidipur in the Rayagad district have been hit by Cholera.

Till now Cholera has taken lives of almost 87 people in Orissa. By Sarada Lahangir (ANI)
http://sify.com/news/surviving-on-c...s-hit-by-cholera-news-health-kjlsOddjbge.html

Cholera, diarrhoea claim two more lives in Orissa
STAFF WRITER 21:55 HRS IST
Bhubaneswar, Sep 11 (PTI) With two more persons succumbing to diarrhoea and cholera, death toll due to the water-borne diseases rose to 37 in Orissa, health department officials said.

Of the two deaths, one occurred in Kashipur and another in Bissam Katak area, they said.

Rayagada district was the worst-hit with 609 people affected by the diseases.

Meanwhile, the state government rushed additional medical teams to the affected areas.

"Additional doctors and para-medical staff have been sent to contain the situation in affected areas," joint director (Health) Bikas Patnaik said.

He said use of contaminated water was the main reason behind the spread of diarrhoea and cholera in the state and the government is taking steps to purify water sources.

Additional temporary health centres had been opened at Kashipur, Kalyansinghpur and Bissam Katak blocks, he said.
http://ptinews.com/news/945412_Cholera--diarrhoea-claim-two-more-lives-in-Orissa

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks, 6 cholera cases confirmed; toll reaches 136

Orissa in grip of Cholera, diarrhoea; toll rises to 38

STAFF WRITER 23:29 HRS IST
Bhubaneswar, Sept 12 (PTI) The death toll due to diarrhoea and cholera in Orissa has risen to 38 today following a fresh casualty in worst-hit Rayagada district.

The authorities have sent large quantity of medicines and disinfectants besides para-medics to KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir -Koraput) region to contain the water-borne diseases.

The toll which stood at 37 increased to 38 with one more person succumbing to the water-borne disease in Rayagada, official sources said here.

Similarly, the number of infected people in Rayagada district which was 609 till yesterday, increased to 660, they said.

Outbreak of killer cholera in the KBK region came to light three days ago with the detection of Vibrio Cholera in three blocks of Rayagada district.
http://ptinews.com/news/947307_Orissa-in-grip-of-Cholera--diarrhoea--toll-rises-to-38

 

[Arkanoid Legent]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks, 6 cholera cases confirmed; toll reaches 136

Orissa in grip of cholera; toll rises to 140

Bhubaneswar: The death toll due to cholera in Orissa has risen to 140 following a fresh casualty in worst-hit Rayagada district.

Just last month Orissa's Kalahandi and Rayagada districts were in the limelight when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the ruling Biju Janta Dal held parallel rallies there to woo tribal voters. But now when a deadly outbreak of cholera claims nearly 140 lives in the region, the political luminaries who had claimed to be soldiers fighting for the cause of the tribals, have strangely vanished.

Paranga Majhi, a villager, said, ?We don't have any source of safe drinking water. So we are forced to use water from dirty rivers and ponds. That's why we are falling ill.?

35 people have died in Rayagada alone. Kalahandi, Nuapada, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Malkangiri are among the worst affected. The rising death toll has pressed the panic button in the state health department. An emergency team of 50 doctors and paramedics have been rushed in.

Bikas Patnaik, Deputy Director, Health Services, Orissa commented, ?We are taking all possible steps to provide clean water immediately where required apart from providing emergency health care."

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/orissa-in-grip-of-cholera-toll-rises-to-38/130840-3.html?from=tn

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks, 6 cholera cases confirmed; toll reaches 136

Nine gastroenteritis death reported from Malkangiri

STAFF WRITER 0:8 HRS IST


Bhubaneswar, Sept 16 (PTI) As gastroenteritis spread to more areas beyond the worst-affected Rayagada district, nine deaths were reported from Malkangiri district today, officials said here.



Incidents of cholera and diarrhoea were reported from several fresh areas in the tribal-dominated Rayagada district affecting over 1300 people, while the number of villages hit by the water borne disease crossed 250.



Though the state government claimed that 49 people have so far died of gastroenteritis with 40 in Rayagada district alone, unofficial sources claimed 72 deaths.

In Malkangiri district, nine persons died and about 400 others were affected by diarrhoea so far this month.

While five people died of the disease in Kudumuluguma block, two each died in Kurkunda and Mathili blocks, chief district medical officer Rabindra Kumar Nath said.
http://ptinews.com/news/959779_Nine-gastroenteritis-death-reported-from-Malkangiri

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks, 6 cholera cases confirmed; toll reaches 136

Orissa govt slammed as diarrhoea toll reaches 52
PTI | 10:09 PM,Sep 17,2010
Bhubaneswar, Sep 17 (PTI) Opposition Congress and BJP today hit out at the BJD government in Orissa accusing it of failing to check spread of diarrhoea and cholera which claimed at least 52 lives in recent times even as a central team is set to visit the worst-hit Rayagada district tomorrow.Death toll due to the water borne disease in the state, which stood at 49 yesterday, rose to at least 52 with two casualties in Ganjam district and one in Rayagada as diarrhoea spread to new areas, official sources said.Unofficial sources, however, put the toll at more than 160 and with 150 succumbing to diarrhoea in tribal dominated Rayagada district alone.Health Minister Prasanna Acharya, who apprised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik about the situation after a three-day visit to Rayagada district, said medical teams were working on war footing round the clock to contain the disease.Acharya said the situation has improved and is now under control following a series of measures and coordinated effort initiated by the government.However, senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh, who visited Rayagada, accused the government of "miserably failing" to check spread of the disease.Seeking the governor's intervention to mitigate the plight of the people, he said the chief minister should resign if he was unable to deal with the situation. Senior BJP leader and former minister B B Harichandan said there is no coordinated effort to contain the disease after its outbreak. No government worth its name exists for the people in Rayagada where health services and public distribution system had collapsed while a large number of posts of doctors are lying vacant, both the leaders said. Meanwhile, a three-member central team which arrived here, is scheduled to undertake a visit to the worst affected Rayagada district tomorrow. The team members discussed with state government officials here ahead of their visit to the district.
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfe...mmed-as-diarrhoea-toll-reaches-52/331886.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orissa: Diarrhoea, gastro outbreaks, 6 cholera cases confirmed; toll reaches 136

India: Outbreak: Several dead and hundreds taken ill in Orissa?s tribal villages
Source: ActionAid

Date: 01 Oct 2010


ActionAid is working with Panchu and Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti in collaboration with Zilla Swasthya Samiti (District Health Council) and doctors in different PHCs and CHCs in different locations.

Even as media expresses shock and agencies respond to the mounting death toll in the tribal villages reeling under diarrhea and cholera outbreak, ActionAid and its partners are reaching out to close to 60 affected villages in western Orissa.

The toll is rising. A local daily has put out a figure of 150 dead, whereas the government agencies peg it at 42. The number of people battling the water borne infection is in thousands.

ActionAid is delivering medicines, material and relief to 35 villages of Sunakhandi and Parsali Gram Panchayat of Rayagada and 25 villages of Lanjigarh Block of Kalahandi district.

Vulnerable and inaccessible

The affected villages are predominantly tribal inhabited and have to be reached on foot, by crossing streams and patches of lush forests. This becomes a daunting task during rains. However, the aid workers are pointing out that vulnerability of the indigenous people and need for an organized approach to reach them have been highlighted time and again with outbreaks each monsoon.

This time around the situation has turned grim and a lack of preparedness has only made things worse. Despite medicines and doctors being there, an organized response was missing for many days after the reports of outbreak. Most of the deaths have taken place during night and women are the worst affected in this outbreak.

During monsoon downpour, access to food sources within the forest becomes difficult for the tribal families. This lower nutritional intake along with stagnant water makes them vulnerable to infections.

ActionAid response

Working through local organizations, as they have direct links and understanding of the community's needs, ActionAid has distributed medicines, dry food, washing power, halogen tablets, bleaching powder and plastic containers for storage to 1,000 affected families. The target is to reach 2,500 families.

To address the shortage of skilled workers to reach villages, trainings have been given to volunteers on de-contamination, hygiene and primary health response. ActionAid has also pressed into service an ambulance provided by a regional news channel to get serious cases to the hospital in time. A number of health camps have been organised in Lanjigarh area of Kalahandi district.

Seeds of hope

ActionAid will take up long-term work in these villages to strengthen the capacity of tribal families by providing immediate food sources that can reduce their vulnerability. Starting next week, local women will be trained in setting up and managing kitchen gardens, through partners.

Note:

ActionAid is working with Panchu and Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti in collaboration with Zilla Swasthya Samiti (District Health Council) and doctors in different PHCs and CHCs in different locations.

ActionAid India Communications Team:

Parvinder Singh
+91 9811224816 parvinder.singh@actionaid.org

Susan Thomas
+91 11 40640523 Susan.thomas@actionaid.org

Partha Pratim Ray
+91 11 40640502 Partha.ray@actionaid.org

Lalit Dabral
+91 11 40640528 lalit.dabral@actionaid.org
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA-89UAMN?OpenDocument