Cup of woes of Rayagada district has overflowed as the monsoon is at its peak. Nine out of ten samples of rectal swab of patients in the district were found to have the cholera bacteria. It was confirmed after test of the samples at the Regional Medical and Research Centre (RMRC) field unit here.
Reports of diarrhoea first came from Padmapur where 21 patients were admitted in the local Public Health Centre (PHC). Unofficial sources mentioned it to be 50. The situation warranted presence of a health team from Bhubaneswar led by Joint Health Director Dr Bikash Das. Gunupur Sub-Collector Mohammad Sadique, District Magistrate Dr Sashi Bhusan Padhi and other district level officials swung into action. Many villagers in the hinterland of Kashipur block got affected in diarrhoea as usual. Now, it is the turn of Rayagada block. Kumari Subarna Takri (14) of Srinibas Nagar near JK Pur had severe diarrhoea and was shifted to the local ESI hospital. After preliminary treatment, she was referred to the district headquarters hospital here.
Similarly, Mada Ullaka (28) and Kresa Saraka (35) from Pitamahal village got admitted in Rayagada hospital after severe diarrhoea.
Vibrio Cholera was found in their stool after medical examination including patients from Padmapur PHC. “After treatment, the patients are safe and till now no casualty has taken place,” said the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Rayagada.
Several cases from cut-off areas like Niyamagiri and many villages of Chandrapur, Kashipur and Gudari blocks were not reported as health personnel hardly reached these villages. The deaths are, sometimes, reported with a reason of eating poisonous or stale food like ragi gruel stored for days or gruel made out of mango kernel. The tribals are compelled to believe in their providence or the traditional tribal healers.
Now under the aegis of CDMO, ‘Nidhi Mausa Ratha’ is spearheading a fortnightly MDD (Malaria, Dengue, Diarrhoea) campaign throughout the district which will end on August 15. The health workers have been distributing halogen tablets in the villages and disinfecting the water sources with bleaching powder.
“We are really concerned about the public health system which is still a far cry for the tribals of Rayagada even in this hi-tech age and after sixty seven years of independence,” said Dibakar Sabar, a known tribal leader of Gudari block of Rayagada district.