Cholera, diarrhoea epidemic claims 171 lives in Orissa

The Hindu, Sept 1, 2007

KASHIPUR (Orissa): The death toll in the diarrhoea and cholera outbreak in the State rose to 171 on Friday and the epidemic spread to new areas.

While many people suffering from diarrhoea were admitted to the Tikiri primary health centre in Kashipur on Friday, the death toll rose to 66 in the tribal-dominated block in Rayagada district.

No doctor

A visit to some hospitals and affected villages showed that the PHC never had electricity and there was no doctor for nearly one year until cholera deaths were reported from a majority of the villages under the 20 gram panchayats in Kashipur.

Electricity was provided and a doctor posted at the health centre only after people of Kucheipadar organised a road blockade on August 22. Fresh cases were reported from the Podagada area in the Dasmantpur block of Koraput district.

Four students of the Podagada girls’ school were admitted to the local primary health centre.

While the official death toll increased to 73 in the block on Friday, it was 78 in the district.

The Kashipur and Dasmantpur blocks have been badly hit by the epidemic, while 27 deaths have been reported from the Thuamul Rampur block of neighbouring Kalahandi district.

Unofficial reports, however, indicated that the death toll in the three districts increased to 297, 180 in Kashipur, 90 in Dasmantpur and 27 in Thuamul Rampur.

Congress’ claim

The Opposition Congress on Thursday said it had already prepared a list of 350 persons who had fallen victim to diarrhoea and cholera.

Lok Shakti Abhiyan, an organisation working in the backward KBK region, also claimed that at least 300 people had died in the districts of Rayagada, Koraput and Kalahandi. Its president Prafulla Samantara alleged that government neglected the health sector in rural areas.

Meanwhile, stray cases of diarrhoea were reported in distant Mayurbhanj district also.