Aftermath Orissa Flood: Cholera outbreak kills 105, endangers 6000 lives

The increase of water borne diseases due to the flood in East Indian state of Orissa has killed 105 people and made 6000 suffering. Consumption of impure water is believed to be the primary cause for the disease.

A health bureaucrat in the state said, the cholera outbreak was caused by locals drinking water from stagnant pools of water and eating contaminated meat.

“Diarrhea is a seasonal problem. But in our case, the situation is severe,” said Orissa health secretary Chinmoy Basu.

“The tribals have particular food habits like eating uncooked meat, not drinking water from tube wells. So health and hygiene are also factors.”

Rayagada and Koraput located 500 kilometres southwest of the state capital Bhubaneswar was badly affected, said officials.

A community health care centre doctor serving the rayagada district stated, “59 people were dead and more than 3000 under treatment. Atleast 54 people in Koraput died from cholera and more than 3000 people are being treated for water–borne diseases.”

Lawmaker Anantram Majhi, said, “With a total population of close to 150,000 (in both districts) there are only three regular government doctors, which means there’s a lone doctor to treat a population of 50,000.”

Medical teams have been dispatched to both districts to make up for the shortage of local doctors.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in spite of the large number of people dead, denied the state was facing epidemic.

“The situation is under control. The administration is taking every possible steps to counter cholera,” he told reporters.