A week long intense diarrhoea control awareness programme started in the district women hospital. Ways to prevent the disorder were discussed by the awareness team and the doctors called on the neonate mothers giving them tips of maintaining sanitation and hygiene.
During the launch of the drive in district women hospital, Additional District Magistrate Manish Kumar said that to counter any problem, it is a must to spread the awareness among people. Addressing the officials, the ADM said, “To control the spread of diarrhoea, people need to be made aware of the do’s and don’ts for prevention of this water borne disease especially in far flung areas of the district. The medicines must be made available in these areas.”
The District Magistrate Deepak Rawat said that child mortality rate was high in the district which needed to be checked. Not only should the Government officials fulfill their responsibility but people from all walks of life must participate so that the infant death rate can be brought down, he said. Drawing attention towards the significance of cleanliness, he said children must be taught to wash their hands and not defecate in the open.
He said that the message of cleanliness must percolate among the rural people and the young mothers be taught about cleaning of milk bottles of children.
Chief Medical Officer of the district hospital, Dr Ashok Gairola told The Pioneer that the intense diarrhoea control drive shall continue for a fortnight.
During this, medical camps shall be held at various places across the district. ASHA workers will distribute ORS packets by visiting homes of people and giving directions to wash hands in the right manner.
He, further, added that people shall be specially made aware of maintaining personal hygiene and cleanliness by washing hands before cooking, after feeding children and after using toilet with soap and water.
The diarrhoea patient must be given ORS at fixed intervals and zinc tablet for 14 days. The children aged under two years must not be given this zinc tablet.
He said the main aim of the drive was treatment as well as spread of awareness towards this deadly disorder.