Central team visits Orissa’s diarrhoea-hit region

RANCHI - A three-member central team-led by joint director of National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Uma Chawla, on Tuesday visited Orissa’s diarrhoea-hit Kalahandi region where the disease has already claimed 25 lives.

Chawla held meetings with senior district administration officers and doctors in affected villages of Bhawanipatna and Lanjigarh blocks.

The team, which met villagers and patients admitted in local hospitals, is expected to submit its report to the government of India.

According to authorities, absence of road and transportation facilities is barring doctors and paramedics from reaching this region in order to check the spread of the disease.

“Right now the epidemic is totally under control in Bhawanipatna. On Lanjigarh it was under control but in the past three days we had a spell of rains that made the situation worse and now there is resurgence and one person died. I hope within next 2 days we will be able to totally control it,” R. Santhgopalan, collector, Kalahandi district, said.

The first diarrhoea death was reported on August 1.

Although the official figures stand at 25, locals say there have been at least 39 deaths due to the disease. (ANI)