To prevent diarrhoea and its effective management, the Health department of Uttarakhand and the National Health Mission (NHM) would observe an Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) from August 1, 2022.

The secretary in charge medical, health and family welfare department and the mission director NHM, R Rajesh Kumar said that during the IDFC fortnight, ORS and zinc corners would be set up in all district hospitals, sub district hospitals, community health centres (CHC) and Primary Health Centres (PHC). He said that the employees of the health department and Asha workers would indulge in creating awareness against the diarrhoea and door to door distribution of packets of ORS while following the protocol of the Covid-19 during the fortnight. The secretary in -charge said that the fortnight would be observed as per the guidelines of the government of India. He said that the objective of the fortnight is to create awareness about usage of ORS and Zinc during the diarrhoea in the children, dysentery management and prevention in the children between the age group of one to five. Kumar said that the Asha workers would demonstrate the method for preparing the ORS solution during their door to door visit programme in the fortnight.

The doctors’ advice that the ORS solution should be given to the diarrhoea affected children. The infants of two months to six months of age should be given half tablet of zinc and the children above six months to five years of age should be given one tablet of zinc for 14 days. The mothers should continue to breastfeed the children during the disease. The symptoms of the diarrhoea are vomiting, watery stool, high fever and feeling of thirst. The parents should contact the nearest health centre and call at 104 toll free number.