NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Imran Khan in Bhubaneswar
Over 40,000 people are in the grip of water borne diseases in the flood-hit districts of coastal Orissa.
About 50 people have died of these diseases till Sunday, sources in the state health control room said.
Diarrohea alone has affected nearly 25,000 people and the number of suspected malaria cases has crossed 8000.
Most of these cases have been reported from the worst affected districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Cuttack and Puri that bore the brunt of Orissa's worst floods in 50 years.
Despite the alarming rise in number of cases in the last five days, Orissa's Minister of State for Health Debi Mishra said the situation is still not out of hand.
"It has not taken epidemic proportions," he said.
"About 152 teams of doctors and para-medical staff have been dispatched to all the flood-hit areas. And if the situation demands, we will take help from international organisations," Mishra added.
State government had already contacted Union Health Minister C P Thakur for immediate help to combat the spread of diseases. Besides, it had also requested other states including West Bengal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to send bleaching powder, halogen tablets, anti-snake venom and other preventive medicines.
Mishra admitted about stray cases of cholera while talking to rediff.com on Saturday.
Even though the floodwaters have receded in many parts, more than four million people are still marooned in 24 of Orissa's 30 districts. Nearly 2,500 villages are still inundated.
A senior doctor of the state health department, who returned from the flood affected areas said water borne diseases are spreading very fast as people were forced to drink contaminated water in the absence of clean water.
"The priority now is to ensure that we can distribute as many water purification tablets and dehydration salts as soon as possible," said Patrick Fuller of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
ALSO SEE: PM promises long term assistance to Orissa
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
