It’s an epidemic!

The Statesman, Sept 1, 2007
Statesman News Service

BHAWANIPATNA, Aug. 31: The Orissa government has finally admitted that an epidemic has hit the state. Collector, Kalahandi, Mr Pramod Chandra Pattnaik, said that according to reports received from the health department, the number of deaths due to diarrhoea and gastroenteritis, stands at 27 across four gram panchayats. Whether the outbreak is cholera or not can only be said after proper laboratory tests, he said. Since these areas are not easily accessible, it is difficult to reach the people. Water pollution and unhygienic living conditions have made matters worse, he said.
To combat the menace, five mobile health service and two health camps have been set up. Two NGOs have been asked to organise additional health camps. Twenty-three villages across Talanagi, Gopinathpur and Adri are water logged. Three power boats have are being used to reach these pockets.
Mr Pattnaik said people in these pockets are being provided employment as part of the NREGS despite it being the rainy season. Steps have been taken to provide rice as part of the public distribution system. To organise health services and public distribution, three block development officers and one tehsildar have been assigned to the affected areas. Mr Pattnaik also condemned three photographers for publishing pictures of dead bodies floating in the Indravati reservoir. He said those were fake pictures taken in 2004 when a boat had capsized in the reservoir.