Situation under control in K’handi: Health Minister

The Pioneer, Sept 4, 2009

Bikash Khemka | Bhawanipatna

The whirlwind visit by Health and Family Welfare Minister Prasanna Acharya and Health Secretary Anu Garg on Wednesday only to Lanjigarh block in Kalahandi district has now raised many eyebrows.

The Minister and Health Secretary did not even get time to visit the rest of the diarrhoea affected blocks of Th Rampur, Bhawanipatna and Jaipatna which had triggered sharp criticism for the locals.

The Minister landed at Bengaon under Lanjigarh block at 10 am where he interacted with the patients in seven affected villages at Tarangel, Ghatikundru, Lakhbahali, Malijubang, Karmeli, Talbora, Padibahali under Lakhbahali and Bengaon GP.

While the Government claims 24 diarrhoea deaths and 275 patients are being treated in different hospitals till now Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das has claimed 38 people have lost their lives in the district at a Press conference in Bhubaneswar.

After visiting Bengaon PHC, Acharya and stated that since last 15 days 21 mobile health units, ambulances, doctors are in the villages to attend to the patients. Acharya told that seven doctors have been pressed into services to look after the patients.

For emergency another ten doctors from Burla Medical Hospital will be provided immediately when the district administration will ask for it.

Prasanna himself admitted before media that the intake of contaminated water with unhygienic food in remote areas has been the root cause for the recent outbreak of diarrhoea. However, necessary steps have been initiated to disinfect streams and all the drinking water sources. Bleaching powder has been supplied to all the villages and Rs 200 is being given to people bringing the patients to hospital. He also assured to provide three mobile vans instantly to the PHC of Bengaon GP.

When asked about the compensation to the kin of the deceased he replied that the
matter will be discussed with Collector R Santhagopalan and it will be announced soon. When asked about 73 doctor posts are lying vacant in the district, he committed to fill it on a priority basis.

The Central team doctors had taken stool samples of four patients at (RMRC) Regional
Medical Research Cenrtre of Bhubaneswar where three samples out of four have been tested positive for Cholera which has now been a measure concern of panic in the district.

But the Minister claims that the situation is under control now. Collector R Santhagopalan, CDMO Sushil Rath, Lanjigarh MLA Shibaji Majhi and Dharmagarh MLA Pushpinder Singh Deo were also present.